


The Lighthouse

by ReyloRobyn2011



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: A love letter to OBX and Charleston SC, Astral Projection, Bar owner Ben, Demon possession, Devoted Reylo, Eventual Smut, F/M, Ghosts, HEA for our babes so don't worry, Haunted beach au, Haunted lighthouses, Hurricanes, Idiots in Love, Kitten Kylo, Mentions of Suicide, Mutual Pining, Mysteries, Ouija Board, Sleep Paralysis, Suicidal Thoughts, Uncovering the truth, astral travel, graveyards, haunted au, mentions of demon possession, spooky stuff, waitress Rey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:21:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25296829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReyloRobyn2011/pseuds/ReyloRobyn2011
Summary: Rey just started her job as a waitress at the popular beach side restaurant 'The Lighthouse.' What she didn't realize was that it's haunted. Soon she and her boss, Ben Solo, embark on a journey to uncover the truth behind the hauntings.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 275
Kudos: 250
Collections: Reylo Halloween Collection





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

The palm trees swayed as a storm brewed on the horizon. Rey leaned against the wood railing overlooking the ocean, watching the dark clouds forming in the sky at a distance. The mid-September air was humid, causing Rey to wipe her sweaty palms on the front of her black jean shorts.

Rey Johnson had just moved to Ahch-To. It was a chain of small islands off the coast of North Carolina. She just got hired as a waitress at a local restaurant and bar that was situated right on the beach. The wooden exterior made the restaurant feel like it was a pirate ship along with the nautical theme on the interior.

A single raindrop fell on her forehead. Rey smiled as she squinted up at the sky. She knew she would have to go back inside— the dinner rush was about to start, even if it was the off-season for tourists.

The Lighthouse was a popular dining spot for both locals and tourists. Rey counted herself lucky for landing the waitressing job when she arrived in Ahch-To. The owner of the restaurant, Ben Solo, hired her after she completely bombed her interview. Rey didn’t know what had gotten into her— her nerves or the fact that her interviewer was the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on. 

Ben Solo was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. Rey was a little more than average height for a woman, but standing next to Ben made her feel small. His dark hair framed his face in soft waves. His eyes were a warm brown that complimented his pale skin and intense features. 

Rey shuddered as she thought back to her interview and how she completely embarrassed herself by stumbling over words and blushing furiously. She was certain she would never hear from Ben Solo again. Yet, he called her the very next day to hire her. 

Rey took one final look at the ocean and then headed inside the restaurant. Ben was tending the bar as he did on most nights. She walked over and leaned against the bar top. There were only a few customers leftover from the lunch rush and they were in Rose’s section. Ben delivered the cosmo he made to the middle-aged woman at the end of the bar. Rey didn’t miss the way the woman looked Ben up and down. But he didn’t seem to take notice. 

Instead, he made his way over to Rey. He pressed his palms on the bar top and leaned over to gaze at Rey. 

“How are you adjusting to life in Ahch-To?” Ben questioned. 

Rey smiled and played with one of the beverage napkins as she averted her gaze. 

“It’s not too bad,” Rey replied. 

“I’m glad to hear it,” Ben said. “It looks like it’s going to storm which means it may be a slow night. Did you want to head out early?” 

“Oh no, I don’t mind closing up,” Rey insisted. 

Ben nodded and brushed a hand through his tousled hair. 

“Okay, I’ll let Rose know she can leave once her tables are closed out.” 

“Thanks, Ben,” Rey said. 

She fiddled with the beverage napkin for a few more seconds and then walked around the bar to throw it in the garbage can. Rey tried not to blush when her eyes landed on her boss. He would be the death of her… 

***

Just as Ben had suspected, the dinner rush wasn’t very busy. The storm kept people away, safely tucked inside their own homes. Rose had already left and the restaurant was empty except for a few stragglers at the bar.

Rey approached the bar and watched as Ben mixed up another drink. He turned his attention to Rey and smiled at her, the dimples in his cheeks making her stomach swoop. Ben slid the drink over to the patron and then leaned back against the bar top with his arms crossed over his chest making his biceps bulge. It was  _ very  _ distracting. 

“Want to learn how to make the Gray Ghost cocktail?” Ben questioned. 

Rey nodded as she bit her lower lip. Ben pulled out the different ingredients naming them all as he went. 

“Lemon juice, gin, blue curacao, creme de violette, and blackberry liqueur.”

He grabbed the shakers and filled them with ice and handed them to Rey, showing her the amounts of each liquid to add to the shaker. Then he wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands on top of hers as he showed her how to mix the drink. 

“Very simple,” Ben added as Rey poured the drink into a martini glass. “You did it perfectly.” 

“Who is this for?” Rey asked. 

“The older gentleman sitting by the windows. His name is Obi-Wan and he’s one of our regulars— he always orders this drink. Why don’t you take it over to him? He should be the last customer of the night. Once he’s finished, we can close up.” 

Rey took a small serving tray and placed the drink on top of it as she walked over to where Obi-Wan was seated. 

“One Gray Ghost cocktail,” Rey announced as she gently placed it in front of the older man. “My name is Rey and I’ll be your server tonight.” 

“Hello, Rey. I’m sure Ben had told you that I come here quite often. Though I haven’t seen you here before.”

“Yes, I just got hired recently,” Rey replied. “Did you know what you want to eat? Do you need a menu?” 

“Oh no, the menu is not necessary. I’ll take my usual, Ben will know what it is.” 

Rey smiled and made her way towards the kitchen. Everything in the back had already been broken down for the evening. Ben was talking to one of the employees as Rey walked over and tapped his shoulder. 

“Obi-Wan wants the usual,” Rey said. 

Ben chuckled, “yes he would, wouldn’t he?” he turned his attention to the employee, “can you whip up a bowl of clam chowder and a side salad for Obi-Wan. Once that’s finished you can go home.” 

“Clam chowder. That’s all?” Rey questioned. 

“Yeah, he says we have the best clam chowder in the state. He’s a strange fellow. But he’s always been good to us. He was a friend of my parents and my Uncle Luke.” 

Rey loved learning these little bits of information about her boss. It made her feel like they could be friends. Ben always treated her with respect and never looked down on her. It was a stark contrast to how she’d grown up. Her parents abandoned her as a child and Rey grew up in foster care for much of her life. 

She chose the last name  _ Johnson _ for herself. It was a way to take back her own agency. She didn’t need a family name belonging to the people that threw her away. 

Rey shook herself from those thoughts. The salad and clam chowder were ready and Ben sent the cook home to begin closing down the restaurant. Rey took the meal over to Obi-Wan’s table and placed it down in front of him. 

“Have you heard the legend of The Lighthouse?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“The legend of the restaurant?” Rey questioned. “What do you mean?” 

“Well, it’s haunted, of course.” 

Rey furrowed her brow and let out a snort. Ben mentioned the older man was a little strange. She supposed she could humor him. 

“Haunted? So what’s the ghost story?” her eyes settled on the Gray Ghost cocktail. Maybe he was into this kind of stuff. 

“Yes dear, long ago this very building was once a home next to the Ahch-To lighthouse hence the reason for its name. As you know, the lighthouse was moved to one of the smaller islands down the coast. The lighthouse keeper lost his mind and murdered his wife and then committed suicide. Legend states that the lighthouse keeper was possessed by a demon and the only way for the man to be released was through death.” 

Rey felt a chill run up her spine. 

“What was the lighthouse keeper's name? Is this based on fact or just a story to scare the tourists?” 

“Oh no, my dear. This story is real. The man’s name was Anakin Skywalker.” 

“How long ago did this happen?” 

“Fifty years ago give or take. Way before you were born.” 

“So you lived to see this. Did you know Anakin Skywalker?” 

“Indeed I did,” Obi-Wan remarked. 

A crack of thunder caused Rey to jump. Ben seemed to appear out of nowhere and placed a comforting hand on her lower back. 

“Obi-Wan, can you stop telling the horror story of my  _ grandfather _ to everyone that works here. You are going to scare everyone off.”

Obi-Wan took the last sip of his Gray Ghost and dug into his clam chowder. 

“She has a right to know. This place is haunted.” 

Rey turned to look at Ben. His eyes looked intently at the older man. 

“Just finish up your meal, Mr. Kenobi,” Ben said, not unkindly. 

Once Ben walked away, Rey took a seat in the booth across from Obi-Wan. 

“You didn’t say the lighthouse keeper was his grandfather,” Rey spat. 

“Well, what’s the fun in that?” 

Rey scoffed and leaned back against the booth. 

“So what kind of stuff happens here? Since it’s haunted and all.” 

“Well, Ben Solo doesn’t believe in all that  _ mumbo jumbo  _ as he calls it. Which is laughable if you ask me. The lights flicker, you can hear footsteps from the upstairs storage room— even though Ben keeps it behind lock and key. Only  _ he  _ has the key. Doors will slam, and whispers can be heard.” 

Obi-Wan finished his meal and stood from the table. 

“Well, I’ve already kept you enough. I should be on my way.” 

Rey walked him to the door so she could lock it behind him. 

“Stay safe out there,” Rey remarked, looking out at the pouring rain.” 

“Oh, I’ll be fine, Ms. Rey. You take care of yourself, you hear?” 

Rey grinned and closed the door and locked it. The rain could be heard pelting the building in hard sheets. Rey made her way over to the table Obi-Wan had been seated and started to clear the dishes. Lightning struck and a ghostly face could be seen momentarily in the window. Rey screamed and dropped the dishes, shattering the bowl on the wooden floors. 

When she looked back at the window, nothing was there. Obi-Wan had really gotten into her head. 

Rey crouched down to pick up the broken shards and cut her palm. She winced and clutched her hand to her chest. Ben had rushed over after hearing her scream and was now reaching for her hand. 

“Let me see. What happened? Are you okay?” 

“It’s nothing,” Rey insisted. 

Though Ben wasn’t letting her off that easy. He instructed her to go sit at the bar and he’d bring the first aid kit out. Rey watched as Ben cleaned up the mess she made and wiped down the table. Then he went into his office and came back with the first aid kit. He opened it up and started to clean the wound on her palm. 

“So, what really happened?” Ben questioned. 

“Just my eyes playing tricks on me,” Rey replied. 

Ben bandaged her hand up and rubbed his thumb along her wrist. Her breathing caught in her chest as he gazed down at her with heat in his eyes. She longed to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him. 

Suddenly, the lights flickered— once, twice, — and then the power went completely out. This time, Rey held her breath for an entirely different reason. Her skin prickled with goosebumps as she grabbed Ben’s arms. 

“Shit, the storm knocked out the power. I need to get the generator on or the food will spoil. Wait here, I won’t be long. Then I can drive you home. There’s no way I’m letting you walk in this mess.” 

He started to pull away and Rey panicked, grabbing his hand. 

“No, let me go with you.” 

Ben nodded, only the silhouette of his face visible in the darkened room. 

“Let me grab a flashlight from behind the bar. Then we will go up to the storage room where the breakers are located.” 

Rey shivered as she waited for Ben to return with the flashlight. Then he offered her his hand and together they started to walk up the creaky stairs to the storage room. Once they got to the top of the stairs, Ben dug through his pocket to pull out the keys. 

She swallowed hard as she remembered Obi-Wan’s story and how footsteps could be heard from this very room. 

The keys jingled as Ben held them up in the glow of the flashlight until he found the correct one. He unlocked the door and pushed it open. Rey’s heart was pounding in her chest as she held onto his arm. 

They walked inside the dusty storage room. Rey peered around in the darkness letting her eyes adjust. It was full of crates and old documents. It didn’t look like anything in here was of use to the restaurant below. 

“Yeah, I never come up here. Always felt  _ off _ to me. So I keep it locked up. I’ll be quick though so we can get out of here,” Ben said. 

He found the breakers and started to flick the switches. When the power didn’t come back on he walked over to the backup generator to turn it on. 

That’s when an eerie voice growled. 

_ Get out.  _

“What the fuck,” Ben yelled at the same time he dropped the flashlight. “Whoever you are, I’m ten seconds away from calling the cops. You better get your ass off of my property.” 

The power turned back on, bathing the room in light. There was only one problem. 

Ben and Rey were the only ones in the room. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've added some tags that I want everyone to be aware of. I wouldn't want to trigger anyone with the content of this story. This is more so for the upcoming chapters. But let me know if you feel like I missed anything.

* * *

Ben was quiet as he drove Rey home from  _ The Lighthouse _ . Many questions were on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to know everything. Did Ben believe his grandfather had been possessed by a demon? If a demon was currently haunting  _ The Lighthouse, _ why would it tell them to “get out.” It didn’t entirely make sense. 

“Are we going to talk about what happened?” Rey asked quietly. She watched the rain pelt the windshield of Ben’s old Ford Falcon. 

“Rey,” Ben sighed. “Strange things have always happened in the restaurant. I tried to tell myself that I didn’t believe in it; ghosts, demons, the occult— any of it. But as you clearly witnessed, it was naive to make excuses for what I have been experiencing.  _ The Lighthouse  _ is haunted as fuck.” 

Rey sucked in a breath. She knew what they’d experienced wasn’t anything of this world. But to hear Ben admit it gave Rey a sense of ease. There was a part of her buried deep in her heart that worried he would insist that what happened had been all in her mind. Those irrational thoughts stemmed from years of abandonment. 

“So am I to assume you’ll be handing in your two weeks’ notice?” Ben questioned. His fists tightened on the steering wheel turning his knuckles white. 

“Of course not!” Rey insisted. Not only did she  _ need  _ this job but she had become rather fond of it. A few ghosts weren’t enough to scare her off. 

Ben hummed as he gazed at her as his lips turned up in a small smile, then he returned his attention to the road. 

“Well, I have to admit, I am glad to hear it. I enjoy your company more than I should.” 

He seemed to whisper those words like he was afraid he was confessing to some great sin. 

Rey reached over and placed her hand on his thigh. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest like a caged bird flapping its wings. 

“I do too, Ben.” 

Her cheeks flushed as she lifted her hand from his thigh and buried them in the front pocket of her hoodie. 

Rey gave him directions to her apartment, sneaking glances at his beautiful profile after every twist and turn on the winding road. She began to wonder if Ben happened to feel the same way she felt for him. It gave her hope that she would no longer be alone again. 

***

The following week flew by with no other paranormal experiences. Rey started to think that it was a fluke. The storms continued and, even though Rey found the rain fascinating (a rare occurrence in Jakku), she longed for the sun to come out so she could take a walk on the beach or explore the island. The weather channel called it a tropical storm. Rey hoped it wouldn’t turn into a hurricane. She wasn’t sure if she was prepared for that type of storm yet.

Rey was closing up as Ben counted the till and closed the register behind the bar. She wiped down the booths in her section and blew out the candles at each of the tables. Rose was sweeping the floors when the lights flickered. Rey felt her heart stop in her chest. They both looked up at the recessed lighting on the wooden ceiling. 

That’s when they heard the sound of shattering glass. Rey quickly turned to see three pieces of stemware on the ground and bar top shattered in tiny pieces. Ben groaned and wrapped a towel around his hand. Rey gasped and rushed over. 

“Ben, you’re bleeding!” Rey said. “What happened?” 

The wine glasses hung upside down on a rack above the bar. Rey looked at the mess of broken pieces that scattered along the bar top. 

“Some of the wine glasses fell and somehow I placed my palm directly on top of one of the shards.” 

His cut was a mirror image to the one she suffered the week prior. The scar on her palm was starting to fade and was now only a fine white line. 

Rose had made her way over towards the bar. 

“Rey, can you patch up Ben while I clean up this mess?” she gestured towards the broken glass. 

“Yes, of course,” Rey replied. “Ben, sit on the barstool, I’ll go get the first aid kit from your office.” 

Rey hurried into the office and rummaged through Ben’s desk. She pulled out the medical supplies and closed the drawer with a hard slam. Rey started to walk towards the door when she heard a clang. Slowly, she turned to see what made the noise. 

On the ground was a key. Not just any key— this one was an ornate vintage key. Rey reached down and grabbed it. She put it into her pocket. She’d ask Ben about it after she helped mend his palm. 

Ben hissed as she dabbed the alcohol swab on the cut. Rey lowered her lips to hover above the laceration and gently blew against it. She then applied Neosporin and a bandage. 

“There, good as new,” Rey said. 

Rose had finished cleaning up the mess. She walked over towards Ben and Rey and placed her hands on her hips as she looked them over. 

“Ben, I hate to tell you this, but your bar is haunted,” Rose said bluntly. 

Ben chuckled and Rey couldn’t help the grin that spread on her face. 

“We know,” Ben replied. 

“Well, if you are interested, my girlfriend is a practicing witch. She can come sage the place.” 

Ben seemed to consider the offer and then shook his head. 

“I don’t think that's necessary. Nobody is getting hurt.” 

Rey reached for his hand and held it up, “Is this what you mean by nobody is getting hurt.” 

Rose snorted and then grabbed her purse from behind the bar. 

“Alright guys, I’m out of here. Be safe. And let me know if you want Kaydel to cleanse this place. She’d be happy to.” 

Ben followed Rose to the door and locked it behind her. Rey pulled the key out of her pocket and placed it on the bar top. She sat down on one of the stools and crossed her legs, waiting for Ben to return.

He took the seat beside her and furrowed his brow at the key. 

“Where did you get that?” 

“It jumped out at me when I retrieved the first aid kit,” Rey said. 

“It  _ jumped  _ out at you?” Ben questioned with a smirk. 

“Or it fell off the desk, I don’t know, Ben. I turned my back and I heard a noise. When I turned around, it was on the floor two feet away from me.” 

Ben picked up the key and studied it. 

“What’s it to?” Rey asked. 

“I’m not sure. It looks old. Perhaps it belongs to the Ahch-To Lighthouse.” 

“Do you feel like the spirit that resides here is trying to tell you something?” Rey pressed. 

“Only one way to find out,” Ben replied. He stood up and offered Rey his uninjured hand. Rey placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her up from the stool. “What do you say we drive down the coast to the Lighthouse.” 

Rey’s eyes widened and then she grinned. The Lighthouse wouldn’t be open to the public so what he was suggesting was risky. Yet, it filled Rey with adrenaline. 

“What do you think you’ll find there?” Rey asked. 

“Hopefully answers about my grandfather and what  _ really  _ happened to him,” Ben replied. 

***

The drive down to the Ahch-To Lighthouse wasn’t as simple as it sounded. Rey hadn’t traveled the hour and a half to see the Lighthouse in the daytime let alone at night during a storm. Parts of the small one-lane road was washed out due to the rising ocean waters. Luckily for Ben and Rey, they were in Ben’s Ford Falcon pickup truck. 

Once they got to the Historical site, Ben parked the truck outside of the gated entrance and grabbed an LED lantern. 

“We’re going to get a little wet,” Ben remarked, looking out the windows at the sheets of rain pouring from the sky. 

“Well, we came all this way,” Rey replied. 

They both climbed out of the truck and made a beeline for the gate. It was low enough to climb over. Nobody in their right mind would be sneaking into the Ahch-To Lighthouse grounds in the middle of the night during a tropical storm. 

Ben helped Rey push up onto the stone wall. His hands lingered on her hips but never moved lower.  _ Always a gentleman _ , Rey thought. Once she landed on the other side, Ben started to scale the wall. He handed the lantern to Rey as he leaped from the top, landing in a crouch on the sodden grass. 

Rey wrapped her arm through Ben’s as they walked through the rain towards the lighthouse. They were soaked to the bone. The rain dripped from her lashes into her eyes, blurring her vision. 

Once they got to the front of the lighthouse, Ben took out the key and examined it. The lock on the doors didn’t match the ornate key. Rey’s shoulders slumped in defeat. They’d come all this way and the key didn’t even belong to the lighthouse. 

The wind whistled and Rey lost her balance, dropping the lantern as she fell against Ben’s chest. He wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. That’s when they heard the click of the lock unlatching. 

Ben threw his arm around Rey and pushed her behind his tall frame. Suddenly, the door flew open. Rey’s heart was beating out of her chest. The lantern was still discarded on the ground. An older gentleman walked out from the shadows and picked it up. When he lifted it up, his face became visible— all sunken cheeks and steely blue eyes.

Rey grabbed Ben’s hand and squeezed it. They’d been caught. This man was sure to call the cops and they’d be arrested for trespassing. 

“Benjamin Solo,” the old man croaked. 

Ben blinked at him. 

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” 

The older man grinned, showing a mouthful of crooked yellow teeth. 

“No, but  _ I  _ know  _ you. _ What brings you out to the far island, boy?” 

Rey was gripping Ben’s hand so tightly she was sure her nails were leaving little half-moon indentions. Whoever this man was, Rey had a bad feeling about him. 

“My grandfather used to be the lighthouse keeper. But I take it you already knew that,” Ben said. 

“Indeed, why don’t we go inside and get the two of you dried off. You’ll catch a cold out here,” the man suggested, waving his hand toward a little cottage on the grounds. 

“Who are you?” Rey questioned, holding tightly to Ben’s hand. 

The older man grinned again, making Rey feel very unsettled. 

“My name is Alistair Snoke. Come inside and dry off. I don’t know how the two of you made it out here in this storm but it is far too treacherous for you to return with the current state of the weather.” 

“Hold on, can you give us just a moment?” Ben questioned. 

Snoke nodded and turned his back, he was still holding the lantern as he locked up the doors to the lighthouse. Ben walked far enough away so the man couldn’t overhear them. 

“I don’t know what you want to do, Rey. I was stupid to come out here with the storm like this. We can try to drive through it. We might even find a vacancy at a hotel on the way back up— if the storm continues. I’ll do whatever you want, Rey.” 

She breathed in and shook her head. 

“Alistair gives me the creeps, but he’s right about the storm. I don’t want to risk our lives out in that,” she pointed to the crashing waves to make her point. “Just promise that you won’t leave me alone with that guy.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Ben admitted. “Let’s go talk to him and then we can get my bag out of the truck. I have a sweater in there that you can change into.” 

Rey was thankful, not wanting to borrow clothes from the creepy old man. 

After they agreed to stay, Snoke walked them to the gate and unlocked it so Ben could drive his truck through and park it by the cottage. They grabbed their belongings and followed Snoke inside his home. 

All of the lights were off inside the cottage. The floors creaked beneath their feet as Snoke flipped the lights on. 

“The guest bedroom is the third door on the left, I have some towels and clothing in the wardrobe. Let me know if you’ll be needing anything else.” 

Ben wrapped his arm around Rey’s shoulders as he thanked Alistair for his hospitality. They entered the guest bedroom and Ben quickly locked the door behind them. He then grabbed a wooden chair and pushed it up under the doorknob to further secure the door. 

Rey watched as Ben ran a hand through his wet hair. He then placed his bag on the bed and unzipped it, pulling out the black sweater and handing it over to Rey. Ben turned his back to give Rey some privacy as she changed out of her wet clothing. Rey took off her hoodie, tank top, bra, and shorts. Each article of clothing landed with a wet slap on the floor. Rey pulled Ben’s sweater over her head and breathed in the scent of him. The hem ended at mid-thigh. 

“I’m decent,” Rey stated. 

Ben turned and gave her a small smile. He then pulled out a pair of gym shorts. Rey’s cheeks flushed as she took a seat on the bed and turned her back so Ben could change. She heard the sound of the dresser drawers opening and shutting. 

Rey felt the bed dip as Ben took a seat. She turned and felt the breath catch in her lungs. Ben was only wearing the gym shorts— and his bare chest looked like he was sculpted from marble. He handed her a towel as he ran one through his hair. Rey did the same, ringing out her drenched locks. 

“I can sit in the chair and keep watch,” Ben suggested. “You should try to get some rest.” 

The room smelt of mothballs and she shivered as she curled up at the head of the bed. She patted the spot beside her, “I’d feel more comfortable with you here,” Rey admitted. 

Ben moved up the bed and sat beside her. She leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder. Ben curled his arm around her, making her feel safe. 

“In the morning, I’d like to talk to Snoke about my grandfather. He knows something. But the first chance we get to leave, I’m taking it.” 

Rey nodded and listened to the steady beat of his heart. The rough waves could be seen from the window and Rey shivered again. Ben pulled her close and pressed a kiss against her hair. She let out a breath and closed her eyes, falling into a fitful sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta Sage McMae


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW for mentions of suicide (past character)
> 
> Artwork at the end of the chapter is for a future scene. I commissioned it from the talented @lilibethsonar

* * *

She couldn’t move. Every muscle in Rey’s body was being held down by some unseen force. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. She was paralyzed. Rey tried to reach out for Ben but her arms wouldn’t move. Her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting in the room and that’s when she saw it— a dark mass at the end of the bed. 

A guttural growl erupted from the figure and then it spoke in a deep menacing voice. 

_Animae eius, mea erit._

Tears streamed at the corner of Rey’s eyes as she writhed, trying to get control over her body. Then she felt the dark energy disappear and she was looking into the warm brown eyes of Ben Solo as he clutched her cheek. 

“Rey, it’s okay. I’ve got you.” 

Slowly, her body relaxed and she was able to move. Her chest rose and fell with her gasping breaths. 

“What… what time is it?” Rey questioned. 

Ben looked at his phone. 

“3:15.” 

It seemed like an eternity before Rey was fully able to regain control of her muscles. Ben helped her to sit up in the bed. His brow was furrowed in worry as he clutched her cheeks. Rey nodded to his unspoken question. She would be alright. 

“Do you need anything? A glass of water?” 

Water sounded nice but Rey didn’t want to be alone after what she’d just experienced. _Whatever_ that was.

“I don’t want to be alone,” she said hoarsely. 

“You’re not alone, Rey,” Ben promised. 

She rested her forehead on his bare chest, breathing in the comforting scent of him. 

“Neither are you,” Rey whispered. 

***

They ended up venturing through the cottage together in search of the kitchen. The floors creaked beneath their feet and Rey hoped the keeper of the house wouldn’t wake. Ben opened the cabinet and grabbed a glass filling it with water from the tap. He handed it to Rey and she gulped it down quickly. 

Ben led Rey to the covered back porch and they sat down in the rocking chairs overlooking the shoreline. Rey pulled her knees up to her chest, letting the oversized sweater encompass her as she stared off at the crashing waves. 

“It’s called sleep paralysis,” Ben remarked. 

Rey turned to look at him, “Sleep paralysis?”

“It’s when your mind wakes up while your body is still in REM sleep. It happens to me more often than I’d like.” 

“I’m not certain that’s what this was…” Rey replied. 

“Did you see something? A shadowy figure? Something holding you down?” Ben asked. 

Rey stared at him with wide eyes. 

“Yeah, me too. The scientific answer for the phenomena is sleep paralysis. Although that doesn’t explain how most everyone that experiences it _hallucinates_ a dark entity. Mind you, I’m not convinced it’s a hallucination.” 

Rey thought back to what the entity growled at her. It wasn’t in a language she knew. She shuddered at the memory. Rey looked out at the ocean. The rain has slowed to a light drizzle. 

“Something about this place feels off— it’s filled with dark energy. I don’t like it. It almost takes my breath away,” Rey said. 

Ben leaned forward in the rocking hair and rested his forearms on his knees. 

“We can leave right now. The storm has settled.” 

Rey very much _did_ want to leave. But she found her eyes scanning over the ocean. Ben’s grandfather was the lighthouse keeper when something happened to him. Perhaps there was something— some kind of clue or a piece to the puzzle inside the lighthouse. 

“I do want to leave,” Rey replied. “But first, let’s accomplish what we came here to do.” 

“I will look for the keys to the lighthouse, you grab our things from the room. We need to do this quickly so we can get the fuck out of here,” Ben said. 

Rey inhaled deeply and nodded. 

“Let’s do this.” 

***

Rey crept through the house as quietly as possible. She quickly gathered up their wet clothes and pushed them inside Ben’s back, hitching it over her shoulder as she walked through the cottage towards the front door. 

Rey winced as the screen door squeaked. She hoped it wouldn’t wake Alistair Snoke. Rey hurried over the gravel drive towards Ben’s truck, opening the door and placing the bag behind the driver's seat. 

Once she turned around, Ben had emerged from the cottage holding an old set of keys. They quickly made their way towards the lighthouse. 

His hands shook as he tried each key. Rey shifted nervously from foot to foot. Finally, a key slid into place and Ben unlocked the door. He held it open and Rey walked inside the darkened tower. Ben held up the LED lantern. It casts shadows across the brick interior. Rey shivered as she remembered the dark mass that appeared at the foot of the bed. Her heart was racing and every hair on her body was standing on end in fear. 

Ben walked around the floor level of the lighthouse. Rey looked upwards at the winding staircase. 

“I guess we should go to the top,” Rey said. 

Together, they started the trek up the stairs. The Ahch-To lighthouse was one of the tallest in the country. They climbed the 269 steps until they reached the lens room. They stepped out onto the outdoor landing. Ben leaned up against the railing and looked out at the ocean with a pensive look on his face. 

“The view from up here is spectacular,” Rey marveled. 

“It’s something else,” Ben said. “I can’t believe my grandfather got to see this every day.”

The rain had stopped completely though the floor of the landing was slick from the storm. Rey looked out at the ocean and the expanse of stars in the sky shining down over the waves. It looked serene. It was almost hard to believe that something so tragic happened in and around this lighthouse. Ben brushed a hand through his hair and sighed. He ducked his head to get through the small doorway of the lighthouse and Rey couldn’t help but giggle. He was just so damn tall. 

Once inside, Rey smoothed her hand along the stone wall. Her fingers brushed against a piece that was jutting out a few centimeters from the rest. It was hardly noticeable and Rey would have missed it completely if she hadn’t brushed her hand over that particular space. 

“Ben, look at this.” 

He held the lantern up and touched the stone. Ben handed Rey the lantern and pulled out a pocket knife. He started to chisel around the stone. After a few minutes, Ben was able to pull the stone free, revealing a hidden hollowed out cubby. Inside was an old book. 

Ben pulled out the leather-bound book and flipped through the delicate pages. He pressed his lips tightly together and closed the book. 

“It’s my grandfather’s journal.” 

Rey peered inside the cubby, reaching inside to see if anything was left behind. That’s when she felt something grab her wrist. Rey screamed and pulled her hand back. Ben shoved the stone back in place and they raced down the spiral staircase. Rey felt like there was something at her back with each twist and turn but she continued forth. She looked up towards the top of the lighthouse and saw a figure swaying back and forth as if it had been hanged. Rey felt tears well in her eyes as she raced down the stairs— vowing not to look up the stairs again in fear of seeing that awful image.

They pushed out of the lighthouse doors and slammed them closed. Ben sealed the doors closed and dropped the keys in the grass as they made their way towards his truck. Rey opened the passenger door and slid inside at the same time that Ben put the keys in the ignition and cranked the engine. 

“Oh, fuck,” Ben shouted. 

Rey looked up and noticed the pale visage of Alistair Snoke in the window staring at them. 

“Drive!” Rey screamed. 

Ben put the truck in reverse and peeled out of the gravel drive. At the entrance to the historical park, the gates were closed. Rey silently swore. 

“Brace yourself,” Ben said as he pressed down on the gas pedal. 

Suddenly, a woman in a white dress appeared, pushing the gates open to allow them to exit. Rey’s eyes widened as they passed the ghostly figure. Rey turned to look behind them and witnessed the woman giving them a kind smile before fading. 

“Oh shit,” Rey yelled. “Oh shit. That was a ghost… an actual fucking ghost.” 

“That was my grandmother,” Ben replied. “She saved us.” 

***

Ben drove them straight to his house. Rey spent the entire hour and a half drive staring in the rearview mirror in fear that Snoke would follow. Though he never did. Once they arrived at Ben’s place, he took their damp clothes out of his bag and put them in the dryer. 

Rey sat on his couch staring at the leather-bound journal resting on the coffee table. 

Ben popped his head around the corner, “Do you want a coffee or tea?” 

“Tea would be nice,” Rey replied. 

Ben went into his kitchen and came back with a mug of tea for Rey and a cup of coffee for himself. 

Rey thanked him as he took a seat on the couch beside her. Then he reached for the journal and placed it on his lap. He flipped to the first page and started to read out loud. 

_My dearest Padme is pregnant. We are to have twins. I can’t imagine being any happier than I am at this very moment. I love her unconditionally. She is the embodiment of everything good in this world. I can’t imagine a life without her. I can only hope she knows the strength of my love for her._

“That doesn’t sound like a man that would murder his wife and then complete suicide,” Rey said. 

“No, it doesn’t.” Ben agreed. 

He scanned the pages until he reached another passage and began to read. 

_I feel like somebody is watching my every move. He whispers in my mind. I tried to talk to Padme about it but she insisted if I had faith then the darkness wouldn’t be able to get inside. I don’t have the heart to tell her how wrong she is. It doesn’t matter how much faith and light I have— the darkness is already creeping in the shadows. I find my mind flooded with horrible images. I wake from nightmares where I’ve murdered everyone that I love. Their blood is on my hands._

_Obi Wan seems to think there is a demon trying to possess me. I’m not certain of what it is but I am going to see a professional in mental health. I’m tired of feeling this crushing defeat. I want to be the father that Luke and Leia deserve. I want to watch them grow old and fall in love. I want them to grow up in a loving household. I need to better myself— not just for me but for Padme and our babies._

“How old was your mother when Anakin completed suicide?” Rey asked.

“Mom and Uncle Luke were two years old. Obi Wan found them the following morning crying in their cribs. It could have been so much worse. But I suppose there was something inside my grandfather that did everything in his power to save his kids.” 

Rey thought back to the terrible image she saw when she looked to the top of the lighthouse. 

“I’m sorry if this is rude or prying. But how did he…” Rey trailed off. 

“No, it’s okay. He hanged himself from the lens room of the lighthouse.” 

Rey sucked in a breath and then reached for the journal and closed it. 

“I think we should take a break. This is getting rather heavy,” Rey suggested. 

Ben didn’t seem to hear her. He was staring off into the distance, deep in thought. 

“The sleep paralysis,” Ben said. “What exactly did you see?” 

Rey thought back and described the dark mass to Ben. 

“It said something to me in another language. I’m not sure what exactly.” 

_“Animae eius, mea erit.”_

“Yes, that was it. How did you know?” Rey questioned. 

“You were moaning and shaking in your sleep. I woke up and tried to comfort you the best that I could to help break you out of the paralysis. I saw the entity at the end of the bed and I heard the words it spoke. You were still in the catatonic state. You couldn’t see or hear me. So I yelled at it to release you. That’s when it disappeared and let go of its hold on you.” 

Rey didn’t remember any of that. All she’d seen was the entity. Rey had felt like she was all alone. But she wasn’t— Ben had been there. He witnessed everything and he _stayed._ He confronted the dark mass for _her._

“It’s Latin,” Ben continued. “Though I don’t know the exact translation. We could go to the library. There’s a woman that works there that is very knowledgeable about these type of things— hauntings and demons. Her name is Maz Kanata.” 

“Then we will go,” Rey agreed. “As soon as it opens.” 

“We should rest for now,” Ben said. “You can take my bed, it’s the first door at the end of the hall. I just need to think for a little while.” 

His gaze fell on the journal again. Rey reached for Ben’s hand and squeezed it. 

“Remember Ben, you aren’t alone in this.” 

“Thank you, Rey. I couldn’t face any of this without you.” 

Rey unclasped their hands and headed towards Ben’s bedroom. She glanced at him and felt her heart squeeze at the solemn look on his face. He looked like a man defeated. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Animae eius, mea erit is latin for "His soul will be mine." @AmiZJediQueen on twitter graciously helped me by translating it for me. 
> 
> Rey's sleep paralysis experience is inspired by my own. It's scary as crap.
> 
> Thank you to my beta Sage McMae!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to update this weekly (and writing ahead so I can meet that goal) but I am going on vacation to a cabin in the mountains for a week starting Saturday. I won't update next week but hopefully I'll be able to write more while I'm off!

* * *

After Rey disappeared into his bedroom, Ben buried his head in the palms of his hands and let out a long sigh. His emotions were all over the place and seeing the woman in white— Ben knew without a doubt that it was his grandmother, Padme. 

Ben also knew exactly what those words meant that the shadowy entity had uttered. Ben had lied to Rey when he said he wasn’t familiar with the words. Ben studied Latin and English Literature in college. His dream was to one day become an author. But those dreams were dashed when he took over ownership of  _ The Lighthouse  _ from his Uncle Luke. 

Luke turned the former home into a restaurant. Ben often worked there as a waiter during college to help Luke out and to earn some cash on the side. Sometimes he even slept on the cot in the upstairs storage room. 

That is— until the  _ incident.  _

Ben wasn’t sure what came over his uncle, but early one morning when he was crashing on the cot after a long night waiting tables, Luke entered the storage room with slow, measured steps. Ben was always a light sleeper and immediately woke when he heard shuffling footsteps. 

Ben opened his eyes to his Uncle standing over him with a fishing knife in his hands— ready to strike. Ben quickly rolled over as Luke’s hands came down, cutting into the mattress of the cot. Ben staggered away and started yelling for help— knowing there wasn’t anybody in the restaurant to hear his pleas. 

Soon, Luke came to and claimed he didn’t know what happened. He said it was as if he’d blacked out. One moment he was locking the doors to the restaurant and the next he was standing over Ben with a knife in his hand. 

Ben tried to tell his mother, but she claimed it all must have been a big understanding. Luke immediately moved away, leaving the restaurant and all of its assets to Ben. 

All dreams of finishing school were dropped as Ben took over ownership of the bar. He ended up locking the storage room and only using it when absolutely necessary. It hurt to enter that room and be reminded of what Luke almost did to him. On top of that, there was an energy in the storage room that made him feel uneasy. 

Thinking back on the  _ incident _ , Ben began to wonder if something else was going on with Luke that night. Something that couldn’t be so easily explained. 

_ Animae eius, mea erit.  _ His soul will be mine. 

Ben laid down on the couch and hugged a pillow to his chest. It would be daylight soon, he needed to attempt to sleep for an hour or two before taking Rey to the library. 

***

_ He was dreaming. Rey was in his arms as they laid in bed together. She wore nothing, only the sheet covering her body. Ben sighed happily, hugging her close to his chest as he breathed in the scent of her hair.  _

_ Her eyes fluttered open and Ben smiled down at her. She leaned into him and pressed her pretty pink lips against his.  _

_ “Ben,” she said breathily.  _

_ “Yes sweetheart,” Ben replied.  _

_ “Ben,” she said again. “Wake up, Ben.”  _

***

“Ben.” 

Rey was shaking his shoulder as he woke up with a start. He gazed at Rey’s face. Her cheeks were pink with a blush. 

“Sorry,” she said. “It’s me, you probably thought I was someone else.” 

Ben mentally berated himself. Part of him wanted to say,  _ “no, never anyone else. Only you.”  _ But the other part reminded him that Rey was his employee and pursuing any sort of relationship was unethical. No matter how much he wanted to. 

“No, just a dream. Are you alright after everything?” 

Rey brushed a wisp of hair behind her ear and that’s when Ben saw a scratch on her wrist. He reached for her hand and brought it over to him. 

“What happened?” 

“Oh,” Rey said. “I hadn’t noticed that. I did feel something grab me when we were visiting the Ahch-To Lighthouse.” 

Ben pinched his lips together in a frown. He didn’t like that this  _ thing  _ could leave marks on her. He ran a hand down his face and sighed heavily. 

“We should go to the library. Your clothes should be dry now. I’m just going to get changed,” Ben said. 

Rey played with the hem of Ben’s shirt. He loved the way it looked on her. 

“You can keep the sweater; I don’t even wear it that often,” Ben lied.

Her eyes lit up and she gave him the brightest grin possible. 

“Thanks, Ben.” 

***

Takodana Regional Library was one of the oldest buildings on the island. They arrived right as Maz Kanata was opening up for the day. 

“Ben Solo,” the older woman called out. “What are you doing here so early? Don't you work nights at  _ The Lighthouse.  _ You should be sleeping, young man.” 

Ben chuckled. Maz was an old friend of his parents. He’d been brought to the library as a child on many occasions and often studied there when he was in college. 

“Well, my friend Rey and I want to do some research. We think there might be something here that could help us.” 

Maz pushed the door open and held it as she ushered them inside. 

“What kind of research?” 

Ben handed Anakin’s journal over to Maz. 

“Something strange is going on at  _ The Lighthouse.  _ I think it has to do with the murder of my grandmother and my grandfather’s suicide. I was hoping you could provide us with any news documents that printed at the time.” 

“You don’t think it was a simple murder/suicide do you?” Maz questioned, adjusting her large glasses on her face. 

“No,” Rey replied. “It’s something paranormal.” 

“I have a few books that might interest you, go take a seat at one of the tables while I gather everything up,” Maz answered. 

She handed Ben back the journal and walked swiftly over to the racks of old books. Rey took Ben’s hand and squeezed it once before letting it go. They walked over to a table by the windows overlooking the ocean and took a seat. 

Ben started to flip through the pages of the journal. Each entry got darker and darker. It seemed like Anakin’s thoughts became non-coherent and garbled. It took a lot of concentration to decipher the jumbled speech and messy handwriting. 

“What do you think we will find here?” Rey questioned. 

“Maybe a way to get a spirit to move on?” Ben answered. 

Maz came over with a few old books and a thick leather binder full of articles from the month of Anakin’s passing. 

“I think these will be just what you need. Let me know if you need anything else,” Maz said. “And Ben, you can always call me if you need help.” 

“Thank you,” Ben replied. 

He was grateful for the kindness. He needed it now that he had a strained relationship with his parents. It stung when his mother didn’t believe him about Uncle Luke’s betrayal. He hadn’t spoken to his mother or Uncle since that day. His father, Han, was the only one he talked to on occasion. He was the only one that truly believed Ben’s account of that dreadful night. 

“I’ll look through the news articles for any interesting information,” Rey offered, opening up the large binder and sifting through the newspaper clippings. 

“Thank you, Rey,” Ben said, smiling at the beautiful woman that was helping him so selflessly. 

He opened the first book and leafed through the pages. He stopped on a passage about ghosts and why their souls continued to haunt the living world. It was often believed that spirits and ghosts remained on Earth due to unfinished business. 

Ben thought back to the ghostly woman in the white dress. His grandmother, Padme was a beautiful woman and she’d died so young. For some reason, her spirit hadn’t passed over. Ben believed it had to do with whatever happened on that fateful night. 

“It says here that Anakin and Padme were buried in a mausoleum. The old cemetery only has one or two above-ground crypts and your grandparents are buried in one of them.” 

“I’ll be honest,” Ben started. “I haven’t ever visited their graves. They passed when my mother was only two. My mother’s adoptive parents were the only grandparents I truly knew. I’m not even sure if my mom ever visited the graves.” 

“I’ve been thinking about that key I found in your office at the restaurant. Do you think it would fit in this type of lock?” 

Rey moved the binder over to show the picture of the mausoleum from the article. The image was black and white and it was too difficult to see the lock up close, but given the time his grandparents were buried there, he seemed it was likely that the ornate key could belong to the crypt. 

His grandmother opened the locked gate so they could escape. Maybe it was Padme that gave them the key. Maybe she was trying to tell them something. 

“It’s definitely worth looking into,” Ben said. 

He looked at his watch and let out a groan. 

“I need to get to  _ The Lighthouse _ and open it up for the lunch hours.” 

“My shift starts tonight but I wouldn’t mind coming in early,” Rey offered. 

Ben grabbed the two library books that Maz brought him and took them up to the counter. Ben wanted to check them out so he could research some more after work. 

“That’s very kind of you to offer, Rey,” Ben replied. “Want me to drop you off at home so you can shower and change?” 

“That would be nice,” Rey said, “I feel gross.” 

She brushed her hands through her hair, trying to smooth it down. 

“You don’t,” Ben admitted. “You look beautiful. You could never look gross.” 

***

Ben dropped Rey off at her apartment and returned home to get ready for work. He agreed to pick Rey back up an hour later before heading to  _ The Lighthouse.  _

After he took a shower, he dressed in a pair of dark slacks and a short-sleeve button up shirt. He moved his hand over the fogged up surface of the mirror. He rubbed his eyes and then looked into the mirror. 

A dark shadow appeared behind him. Ben felt his entire body freeze in fear. His knuckles turned white from how hard he was holding on to the sink. The shadow moved closer— the smoky silhouette turning into something that resembled a human. The wrinkled face chuckled deeply and then disappeared entirely. 

Ben was still frozen in place— too afraid to move in fear that the entity would appear again. He would never be able to get that face out of his mind. 

_ I can taste your fear.  _ Something whispered in his ear. Then the gnarled face appeared in the mirror again, but this time it wasn’t behind his shoulder like before, it was on the surface of the mirror. Ben punched the glass and yelled as the shards embedded into his skin. He grabbed a towel and held it over his bruised and cut knuckles.

The entity left, taking the dark energy that swirled around with it.

Ben let out a shaky breath. Fuck, he was going to ask Rose to have her girlfriend sage his home. There was no way he was coming back here without it being cleansed. 

***

Ben picked Rey up and tried to shrug off his injury but Rey wasn’t having it. He pinched the bridge of his nose and then told her everything. He knew it sounded crazy but Rey believed him. That’s all that really mattered. 

“It’s escalating,” Rey remarked. 

“Yes, I don’t want to go back to my place anytime soon,” Ben admitted. 

“You can stay at mine, if you want.” 

Ben smiled as they headed towards his car. The storm clouds swirled overhead threatening another torrential downpour. 

“I wouldn’t want to impose,” Ben replied. 

“Stop! You wouldn’t be. If I’m being honest, I would feel more comfortable with somebody else staying with me. I really don’t want to be alone.” 

A war waged inside Ben’s heart. On one hand, he wanted nothing more than to protect Rey— or protect each other from the paranormal. But he knew how badly this would look if anybody found out. The bar owner shacking up with the waitstaff. Ahch-To was a small town and gossip spread like wildfire. 

“I’ll think about it,” Ben said. 

He opened the door for Rey and then walked around to the driver’s side. Ben sent a quick text to Rose, asking if Kaydel would be available to meet them at  _ The Lighthouse.  _ He hoped the workday would be uneventful. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta Sage McMae


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

Rey watched as Ben unlocked the front doors to  _ The Lighthouse  _ and held them open so she could enter. She felt a chill run up her spine as she looked around the dark and vacant dining room. The ambiance was much different from when it was bustling with patrons and waitstaff. Now, it felt eerie and foreboding. 

Ben immediately turned the lights on bathing the room in a warm glow. Rey walked over to the windows and started to open the shades, letting what little natural light flood inside. The dark storm clouds were still swirling overhead. Rey never thought she’d actually miss the sun. 

She noticed Ben continuously checking his phone. Rey wanted to reach out to him, to grab his arm and let him know that he wasn’t alone in this. But the memory from that morning was etched into her mind. 

_ “Sweetheart,” _ he had said. 

Rey didn’t  _ think _ Ben was dating anyone but clearly there was someone in his life. She felt embarrassed for her unrequited feelings. 

“Hey,” Ben said, wrapping an arm around her waist. He leaned in and nuzzled his nose against her temple. “Everything’s going to be okay. I wouldn’t blame you if you threw in the towel right now and got the hell away from this place.” 

“I’m not going anywhere, Ben,” Rey insisted. “We’re in this together.” 

He smiled and she felt her heart swell.  _ He really should smile more,  _ Rey mused. 

They finished setting up the restaurant for the afternoon. The other employees filed in and started their own opening duties. Rey was lighting the candles at each of the tables when Rose walked in with a petite blonde woman in a flowy, black dress. She twirled her crystal necklaces around her finger as she looked around the dining room. 

“Ben,” Rose called out. “This is my girlfriend, Kaydel.” 

Ben waved Rey over while Rose made the introductions. 

“This place is cursed,” Kaydel remarked. “Something terrible happened here long ago. The darkness  _ lurks. _ ” 

“I’m sure you’ve heard of my grandparents' history. It happened here,” Ben revealed. 

“Yes, but that’s not what I’m feeling. There is residual energy— someone, a good spirit was trying to help when a darker entity was taking over someone else— someone that promptly left town.” 

Rey furrowed her brow, not understanding what Kaydel was reading from the room. Ben swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. 

“The good spirit— can you tell me anything about it?” 

“Female, motherly, protective.” 

_ Padme.  _

“Can you cleanse the restaurant?” Ben questioned. He took a deep breath and continued, “and then my home?” 

“I can; I brought some supplies. I will get to work right now.” 

Kaydel opened her purse and pulled out a plastic bag with the sage stick inside. She lit the end and started to purify first Ben and then Rey, moving the sage around their bodies. She then moved across the room, marking the doorways and windows. When Kaydel finished, she started packing up her supplies and requested that Ben stop by her shop once the restaurant closed for the evening. 

“I close the shop at nine but come with Rose and I’ll get you all set up for cleansing your home.” 

“Thank you,” Ben said, reaching for Kaydel’s hands and squeezing them. “Thank you so much.” 

“If you ever need to talk about what your uncle tried to do to you… I’m here to listen,” Kaydel said before turning towards the door. Rose walked her girlfriend outside and Rey gazed at Ben’s pensive stare. 

“What happened?” Rey questioned. 

Ben sighed and reached for Rey’s hand. He guided her to his office and closed the door, locking it behind him. Ben took a seat and Rey perched herself on the edge of his desk. He placed a palm on her warm thigh, brushing his thumb back and forth along her skin. 

“ _ The Lighthouse _ was my uncle’s restaurant. I used to work here while I was in college. Sometimes I would sleep on the cot upstairs in the storage room. One night, I was sleeping when something  _ urged  _ me to wake up. When I did, my uncle was standing over me with a knife. I rolled out of the way. Eventually, he snapped out of whatever catotonic trance he was in, but the damage was done. He left  _ The Lighthouse  _ to me and ran away. He probably thought giving me the restaurant was some great way to atone for what he did that night. But you know as well as I do that owning this place isn’t worth dealing with the hauntings.” 

Rey put her hand on top of Ben’s and squeezed it. 

“That’s awful, Ben,” she felt her heart clenching at the thought of him so helpless. She wanted to lean forward and kiss him— she longed to press her lips against his, but she held herself back. 

“You know, I didn’t even want this fucking place,” Ben spat. “I wanted to be an author. I wanted to finish college. There were so many dreams I had that shattered when I took over this restaurant. I didn’t want this “family” owned restaurant to go under because of my own selfish needs.” 

“It isn’t selfish, Ben. You could sell this place to somebody else. Your uncle clearly didn’t care enough about it to stay. And what happened here to  _ your  _ family— this isn’t a happy place to be remembered. You need to take back your agency.” 

“How am I to do that?” Ben questioned. 

“Take me upstairs to the storage room,” Rey demanded. 

Ben clenched his jaw but nodded. 

“Okay, but I don’t think it will help.” 

Ben grabbed his keys and they made their way to the wooden stairs leading up to the storage room. Ben unlocked it and pushed it open. Rey walked inside, looking around at old wooden crates and dusty table coverings. It was evident that he never came up here unless it was absolutely necessary. 

“What happened to you in this room was terrible. Nobody should wake up fearing their life from an intruder, let alone one that is a relative.” 

They stood in silence, taking in the darkened room. Rey crossed over to Ben and pulled out her phone. 

“Come on, let’s take a picture together. Let’s make a happy memory in this wretched room.” 

Ben grinned as she unlocked her phone and held it up so they could take a picture together. After she snapped it, she quickly glanced at it before placing her phone in the back pocket of her shorts. 

  
“There, perfect,” Rey replied. 

Ben stared down at her with those warm brown eyes. Rey noticed his gaze slipping down to her lips. He wanted her… in the same way she wanted him. Rey threw all caution to the wind. She looped her arms around his neck and rose up on her tiptoes, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. 

He melted into the kiss, wrapping an arm around her waist as he deepened it. Rey felt dizzy as she lost herself in the taste of Ben’s lips. They pulled apart to each catch their breath and Rey smiled against Ben’s lips. 

“Now, tell me Ben. What do  _ you  _ want to do with this place?” she asked. 

“I’m not sure. I can’t just close this place up. Think about all the employees that will be out of a job.” He tugged her closer so her body was flush against him.

Rey knew he was including her amongst the others. Ben was such a selfless man, always thinking of other people’s problems over his own. 

“You could sell it,” Rey offered. 

“Who in their right mind would buy a haunted restaurant?” Ben questioned. 

Rey chuckled as she shook her head. 

“Yeah, you’re right about that. But you have time to think it over. Just promise me you’ll consider your own happiness.” 

“Okay, Rey. I promise,” Ben said. 

***

The rest of the afternoon and evening went by without any paranormal activity. Ben found Rose at closing time and thanked her immensely for Kaydel’s help in cleansing the restaurant. 

“Anytime, Ben. Let me know when you guys are ready and we can walk to Kaydel’s shop.” 

“Thank you,” Ben replied. 

He finished closing up the restaurant and found Rey waiting for him on the wooden porch outside of the building, overlooking the ocean. 

Ben walked up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to her neck.  _ God  _ it felt good not to lie to himself about his feelings. There was still the issue of him being her boss. Although, Ben was beginning to wonder if he even  _ wanted  _ the restaurant. Maybe there was something he could do so he’d be free of  _ The Lighthouse _ and have Rey. 

Rose cleared her throat and Ben blushed profusely as he turned. They’d been caught cuddling. 

“About time you two stopped dancing around each other,” Rose said under her breath. “Now come on, let’s head out before the storm starts.” 

They walked down the street towards Kaydel’s shop. They made it inside just as the rain started to pour. Ben brushed his damp hair back. Rey pulled out his sweater from her purse and pulled it over her head. The sight of her wearing his clothing really turned him on. 

Ben could only describe the little store as homey. There were small jars of oils lining one wall. Decks of tarot cards were on display on a table. Against the opposite wall there were many crystals. 

“Have a seat and I’ll bring over everything you’ll need,” Kaydel called out.

Ben and Rey sat down on the plush couch. Rose took the loveseat across from them. Kaydel carried over a few different things and placed them on the table as she sat down beside Rose. 

“I have some sage for you, and a couple of crystals— one for each of you. This oil, Frankincense, is very useful for removing negative energy.” 

Kaydel gave them a quick tutorial of how to properly cleanse Ben’s home. She talked to them about dark spirits and the dos and don’ts of reaching out. 

“For a dark spirit you don’t want to  _ open the door, _ ” Kaydel said. “Absolutely under no circumstances should you  _ ever  _ use a ouija board.” 

Ben nodded along, making mental notes. 

“Okay, I will pack all of this up for you and throw in a deck of tarot cards. If either of you want a reading I’d be happy to do one.” 

Kaydel went behind the counter and retrieved a cloth bag. Ben turned to Rey and noticed her looking down at her phone with a puzzled expression on her face. 

“What’s wrong?” Ben questioned. 

Rey handed him the phone and pointed to the picture they had taken in the storage room. Just over Ben’s shoulder was a looming figure in the background. Ben cursed as he dropped the phone, reaching down to collect it and sighing in relief when he noticed he hadn’t shattered the screen. 

“What is it?” Rose questioned. 

Ben handed the phone over to Rose. Her eyes widened when she noticed the figure. 

“Hey, babe. Can you come here a second?” Rose called out. 

Kaydel skipped over with the bag, quickly packing up the oils, sage, and crystals in the cloth bag. 

“What’s up, babe?” Kaydel asked. 

“Look at this picture and tell me what you see,” Rose said. 

Kaydel glanced at the picture and swore. 

“That is a dark spirit,” she remarked. “Where was this photo taken?” 

“In the storage room above the restaurant,” Rey replied. 

Kaydel bit her lip and looked directly into Ben’s eyes. The young witch somehow knew of his past and the trauma he experienced in that very room. It seemed she was very clairvoyant. 

“I should have cleansed that room. I will come over tomorrow to do it. But for now, neither one of you should go up there again— that includes you, Rose.” 

***

They thanked Kaydel for all of her help before leaving the shop. Rose stayed behind with her girlfriend. Ben and Rey ran through the rain back to where Ben’s Ford Falcon was parked. Rey held the little bag on her lap and watched the rain fall as Ben drove them to his house. 

Once they arrived, Ben cleansed the place thoroughly. Rey could tell he was still nervous about being alone after what he’d experienced.

“Do you want me to stay?” Rey questioned, after Ben put away the sage. 

“Only if you are comfortable,” Ben replied. 

Ben’s sweater slipped down one of her shoulders as she curled against him, resting her cheek over his heart. Ben wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. 

“I don’t want to be alone,” Rey admitted, pulling back enough to take in the look in Ben’s eyes. 

“Me neither.” 

Ben leaned down and kissed her. She felt her breath catch in her lungs as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. They were both afraid— but what they did have was the comfort of one another. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta SageMcMae


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut time

* * *

The storm swelled outside pelting the windows with sheets of rain. The wind howled and shook the fronds of the palm trees lining the property. None of that seemed to matter to the man and woman inside the small beachside home, lost in each other’s embrace. 

Ben had Rey laying on her back in his bed as he kissed her warmly. One hand sneaked beneath his dark sweater that she’d taken possession of. He had to admit— it turned him on to see her in his clothing. 

His palm was warm against the ladder of her ribcage, he stopped when his fingertips reached the lace of her bra. Ben couldn’t quite believe that Rey felt the same way for him that he did for her. And she had  _ kissed  _ him. 

Ben lowered himself between Rey’s splayed legs as he kissed along her jaw and neck. Her fingers sank into his hair and tugged lightly as he nipped her skin. His cock was already painfully hard. He rocked against her clothed core and groaned at the heat between her legs. 

Suddenly, Rey sat up and ripped the sweater over her head, tossing it and the plain work shirt into a pile on the floor, leaving her in only a bra from the waist up. Ben swallowed at the beautiful sight laid out on his bed. The moonlight kissed her skin as shadows danced across the walls. 

Ben pulled his own shirt off and started to work at the belt on his pants. Rey hopped off the bed and began taking off the tiny pair of black shorts. When she returned to his bed, she laid back and spread her legs. She was wearing lace panties to match her bra. He groaned and palmed his erection through his pants. 

“Mr. Solo, you are wearing entirely too much clothing,” Rey sighed as her fingers slipped beneath the fabric of her panties. 

Ben felt his pulse jump as he shoved his pants off leaving him in only his black boxer briefs. He crawled onto the bed and grasped Rey’s thighs, pulling her down so she laid flat on her back. She huffed as her back hit the mattress, pulling her hand out from inside her panties. 

Ben captured her hand and guided her fingers to his mouth, sucking them as the tangy  _ taste  _ of her arousal coated his tongue. He moaned around her digits, licking them clean. 

“Fuck, sweetheart. You taste incredible,” Ben murmured. 

Rey whined as she bucked her hips against him. 

“Please Ben, I  _ need  _ you.” 

He reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, tossing it to the side and revealing soft, creamy breasts with peaked rosy nipples. Ben licked his lips and descended upon Rey. He cupped one breast as he kissed its twin. His lips moved around the soft swell as his nose bumped against her nipple. He lifted his head and maintained eye contact with Rey as he lowered his mouth over her nipple. 

Ben sucked and licked at her pretty tits, alternating between one and the other until they were flushed and wet with his saliva. He nibbled at one pebbled bud as he sneaked a hand into her underwear, sliding his finger through her slick folds. 

Ben released her breast with an audible pop and groaned as his finger sunk inside her cunt to the knuckle. 

“Sweetheart, you’re so wet. Is all of this for me?” 

“Only you,” Rey assured. 

Ben slipped his finger out and hooked them in the hand of her underwear. 

“Lift that perfect ass so I can pull these off. Don’t want to rip them.” 

Rey did as he asked. 

Once she was completely bare, Ben widened Rey’s legs and gazed down at her pretty little pussy. He kissed the inside of her knee. 

“Can I eat you out?” Ben questioned. 

Rey answered by grabbing the back of his head and guiding him between her legs. He started by licking through her folds, ignoring the place she needed him most. Ben wanted to take his time with Rey and savor every moment. 

Her knees trapped him between her legs as she rocked her hips against his mouth. She yanked at his hair, urging him higher. Ben flicked his tongue against Rey’s clit and watched as her head laid back against the pillows. Her back arched, pressing her cunt further into his mouth and her nipples pebbled. He had the urge to put her tits in his mouth again but that could wait until he was finished eating her pussy. 

Ben sucked her clit between his lips and Rey let out a sharp gasp. He reached up and brushed his thumb over her hard nipple. He massaged her breast as he continued to suckle at the little bud. It didn’t take long for Rey to be pushed over the edge. Ben lapped at her core, devouring her as she came down from her release. 

Ben pulled his boxer briefs off and stroked his cock as he made his way towards the head of the bed. He laid down beside Rey and pressed a kiss to her cheek and then her lips. She hitched a leg over his hip and looped her arms around his neck. 

Before he knew it, Rey had pinned him on his back and straddled his waist. She reached for his cock and started to stroke him. She then lifted up on her knees and guided his cock to her cunt. Ben moaned as Rey sank down on top of him, enveloping his cock with her silken pussy. 

“Fuck, Rey. You’re perfect.” 

“Oh god,” Rey whined. “Give me a second. You’re so bloody huge.” 

Ben couldn’t help the chuckle that left his lips at her posh accent. It was one of the things he found so endearing about Rey. That and her lovely freckles. 

His palms squeezed at her hips as he continued to freeze, not wanting to move until Rey gave him the go-ahead. 

“Alright, I’m good,” Rey replied. 

Ben bodily lifted her, moving her up and down his length. She felt exquisite. So warm and tight. Ben smoothed his hands down Rey’s backside and squeezed the soft globes.  _ Fuck  _ he loved her ass. Her perfect round  _ peach  _ of a bottom. 

Ben maneuvered them so his back rested against the headboard. Rey bounced up and down on his cock as he massaged her ass. Her tits bounced enticingly in front of his eyes so he leaned in and captured a pert nipple between his lips. Rey continued to ride him as he suckled at the tight bud, his eyes rolling into the back of his head at the feel of it between his lips. 

He could feel himself rising— getting closer to his own release. But Ben wanted to feel Rey come on his cock. He slid one hand between their bodies and found her clit, rubbing it in tight circles as he fucked up into her. 

Soon he felt her tight walls fluttering around his length signaling Rey’s orgasm. She sighed softly as she came down from the aftershocks. Ben rolled them over so Rey was on her back. He continued to thrust into her, watching as his cock moved in and out of her. He picked up his pace, feeling the telltale signs of his impending orgasm. 

Ben growled as he came, spilling every drop of his come inside her. He collapsed on top of her and pressed kisses to both of her cheeks and then her lips. She smiled at him and closed her eyes, nuzzling against him. Ben pulled the blankets up and kissed Rey’s forehead. 

He didn’t know when he’d fallen asleep, but he’d never felt more at home with Rey wrapped up in his arms. 

***

_ A woman in white visited his dreams. Ben has seen photos of this woman before in old albums at his mother’s house. She is the same woman that opened the gates at the Ahch-To lighthouse, saving them from the creepy man that went by the name of Snoke.  _

_ His grandmother, Padme.  _

_ He’s in a cemetery. Gravestones line the property— many with flowers placed atop the graves from mourning family members. The woman in white is standing beside the mausoleum with a soft smile on her lips.  _

_ She’s beautiful— it’s no wonder Ben’s grandfather loved her so— yet that doesn’t explain what happened the night Anakin snapped. There had to be more to the story. The journal entries were filled with entries of Anakin professing his love for his wife. Ben couldn’t imagine someone murdering someone he loves.  _

_ He would never do that to Rey. Could never…  _

_ “Hello Benjamin,” Padme said with a smile.  _

_ Ben never knew his grandmother but a flood of warmth and love washed over him as she addressed him.  _

_ “Padme,” Ben replied, crossing the distance and reaching for her.  _

_ His hands never reached hers, slipping through like water through his fingers. She wasn’t really here, after all.  _

_ “I don’t understand why all of this is happening. Why this had to happen to our family.”  _

_ “You are so close to the answers, Benjamin,” Padme replied.  _

_ “I don’t know how to help you move on. That’s what you want? Isn’t it?”  _

_ “I’m not ready yet,” Padme said. “I still have unfinished business.”  _

_ Ben felt tears well in his eyes. He rubbed them away with the back of his hand.  _

_ “Search your feelings, Benjamin. You know what needs to be done to set everything straight. The truth must be told.”  _

_ “How do I find out the truth, why can’t you just tell me?”  _

_ She shook her head sadly.  _

_ “I can’t. But you can find it. You are so close. So very close.”  _

_ She turned to look at the mausoleum. Ben’s eyes fell upon the name carved into the stone.  _

_ Amidala-Skywalker. This was where his grandparents were laid to rest.  _

_ The key! This must be what Padme had been trying to lead him to.  _

_ “You understand now,” she smiled.  _

_ They were both silent as they looked into each other’s eyes. Padme started to vanish and Ben panicked— trying to reach for her.  _

_ “You are loved, Benjamin.” she whispered through the wind.  _

***

Ben woke up with tears staining his cheeks. He wiped them away and rolled over to find Rey cuddled up against him. Her eyes fluttered open and she grinned up at him. 

“Morning,” Rey said hoarsely. 

“Morning beautiful.” 

She blushed prettily. Ben swept an errant curl behind her ear and leaned down to press a kiss to her lips. 

“I had a dream about my grandmother,” Ben admitted. “We were in the graveyard. The key that you found in my office— I think it’s time we try the mausoleum and see if that’s what it leads to.” 

Rey leaned up and kissed him softly. 

“We can go after I shower and have breakfast,” Rey replied. 

She rolled out of the bed, stark naked and walked towards his ensuite. She stopped in the doorway and looked over her shoulder. 

“Want to join me?” Rey questioned with her lips pursed. 

“Gladly,” Ben replied. 

***

The cemetery gates opened promptly at 8 a.m. The wind howled and the skies were a dark grey with the hurricane rolling in. They would have to hurry if they didn’t want to get caught in the storm. 

The misty rain kissed their skin as they walked through the gates and made their way towards the large crypt. The ornate key was snug in his pocket. Ben held his hand over it to ensure it wouldn’t fall out. 

That’s when they heard a little mewling noise. 

Rey crouched down by the gravestone and gasped. She reached down and scooped up a tiny ball of black fur. It was a kitten. 

“Ben we can’t leave him,” Rey remarked. 

The kitten was shivering as it nuzzled against Rey’s neck. Ben pulled his shirt up and wiped at the soft fur of the kitten, trying to dry him as best he could. 

“We won’t leave him sweetheart; certainly not in a storm like this.” 

“What should we name him?” Rey questioned. 

Ben smirked. Somehow he and Rey had just become cat parents. He looked at the gravestone Rey had found the kitten behind. It read  _ Kylo Ren. _

“What about Kylo?” Ben suggested, pointing to the grave.

“Kylo is perfect,” Rey replied. “Meet your daddy, Kylo.” 

Rey handed the little kitten to Ben. The small guy fit perfectly in the palm of Ben’s hand. Kylo’s gold eyes blinked at Ben. 

“I’ve always liked black cats,” Ben said as they made their way through the graves. 

“You know what they say, black cats are good luck,” Rey winked. 

“Who says that?” Ben chuckled.  _ He’d certainly heard it the other way around. _

“Me,” Rey answered. 

And that was good enough for Ben. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta SageMcMae


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

The kitten mewed as Ben held him in the palm of his hand. It didn’t take them long to find the Amidala-Skywalker mausoleum amongst the gravestones in the cemetery. It was one of the only above-ground graves on the land. 

It did surprise Ben to see an older man standing in front of the crypt with a bouquet. And not just any man; this was one he knew well. Old Obi-Wan Kenobi placed the white lilies on the stoop. He turned around just in time to see Ben and Rey approaching. 

“Oh, Benjamin, hello. Ms. Johnson, how are you?” 

“Hi Mr. Kenobi,” Rey replied. “Ben and I are here to visit his grandparent’s graves. It seems you had the same idea.” 

Obi-Wan nodded and pushed his hands in the front pockets of his trousers. 

“Yes, I come to visit them often. I often find it hard to continue on when everyone I loved is gone. But I have you youngsters to keep me going.” 

Ben handed Rey the kitten and turned to Kenobi. The man had always been there for him in one way or another. The older man’s eyes were full of sadness. Ben wished there was something he could do to make things better. He couldn’t bring his grandparents back, but perhaps he could give Kenobi some much-needed closure. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever said it before,” Ben started, “but thank you for being there for me when I needed you. Thank you for supporting my mother when she lost her parents at such a young age. You’re more than how this town treats you.” 

“Well, I am just a crazy old man,” Kenobi smirked. 

He reached out and clapped a hand on Ben’s shoulder. 

“I know you don’t believe in all the ghost stories that plague this area, but I’m here to tell you that it is very real. Moreover, I believe  _ you  _ are the one to set things right. You can change the tide, Benjamin.” 

“You’d be surprised how much my opinion on the paranormal has changed,” Ben remarked. 

Rey reached for Ben’s hand and squeezed. Kylo was curled up in the crook of Rey’s other arm. Obi-Wan peered at them both and gave them a knowing smile. Then he scratched Kylo behind the ears. 

“I’ve seen this little guy hiding in the brush the last couple of weeks. He always skittered off whenever anybody got close. Though it looks like he has found a home with the two of you.” 

Rey grinned that bright sunny smile that Ben loved. He brushed this thumb along the bony ridges of her knuckles. He was so thankful for Rey coming into his life. He didn’t know where he would be without her. His heart sank a little as he thought back to many years growing up when he was lonesome. Sleepless nights filled with sadness and desperation for companionship. For the first time, Ben felt like he wasn’t alone. 

“I will leave you be,” Obi-Wan said. 

Ben watched as the older man walked past him. Maybe Ben and Rey could have dinner with him one night. Ben could make him  _ the special _ that he always ordered at the Lighthouse. A ghost martini and clam chowder. 

Once they were alone, Ben pulled out the ornate key. He crossed towards the entrance of the mausoleum, sliding the key into the lock and turning it. His heart skipped at the sound of the mechanism unlocking. Then he pushed the door open. 

It was dark inside the crypt. Two sealed caskets were situated on either side of the room. Rey closed the door behind them and placed Kylo on the ground so they could each take a look around. Ben slid his hand over the top of the casket. The entire room was covered in dust and cobwebs. It was clear that nobody had entered this room in a very long time. 

Part of Ben mourned the fact. Perhaps it was part of the reason why his grandmother hadn’t crossed over yet. She didn’t want to be forgotten. 

“Why would she lead me here?” Ben questioned. There wasn’t much to see. He thought coming here would give him what he needed to understand what happened that night. 

“Don’t lose hope Ben,” Rey replied. She walked over to the backside of the crypt and traced her fingers along the stained glass window. 

Ben felt his vision start to blur and his head felt fuzzy. He rubbed at his eyes but that only seemed to make it worse. 

“I don’t feel so well,” Ben said. 

Just as Rey turned around he fell to his knees, catching himself on the palm of his hands. She hurried to his side and pulled his head onto her lap. Ben reached up and trailed his finger over Rey’s cheek before blacking out. 

***

_ “I think I’m okay now,” Ben said.  _

_ He pushed himself up and turned around to see Rey still seated on the ground with his body laid across her lap. Rey was brushing his hair out of his face and shaking him lightly, begging him to wake up.  _

_ Ben patted his body— what was this? An out of body experience? Oh god, was he dead? No… his grandmother wouldn’t lead him to his own death, would she?”  _

_ “You aren’t dead,” the aforementioned woman laughed.  _

_ Ben whirled around to see his grandmother standing on the other side of the room.  _

_ “What happened? How is this real?”  _

_ “You astral projected out of your body,” Padme replied.  _

_ “Oh, right, of course. That explains everything,” Ben snarked. “You led me here for a reason. What is it?”  _

_ “Before I couldn’t reach you entirely. In dreams, I can only do and say so much. You are astral traveling so we are closer than ever before.”  _

_ Padme grasped his hands. Solid, she was solid. It wasn’t a misty visage like before.  _

_ “I don’t have much time,” Padme added. “I just wanted to tell you the truth. Anakin wasn’t in the right frame of mind that night. He would never hurt me. Something had a hold of him.”  _

_ “A dark entity,” Ben replied.  _

_ “Yes, a demon by the name of Palpatine.”  _

_ Ben swallowed hard. All of those times when he experienced sleep paralysis and saw the shadow figure— was it really a hallucination or was it Palpatine? Then he thought of the night in the cottage when Rey experienced the same. And those words…  _

Animae eius, mea erit. Your soul will be mine. 

_ “I’ve come to warn you, Benjamin. Palpatine plans to do the same to you that he did to my Anakin.”  _

_ Her eyes well with tears.  _

_ “He thrives on fear and loneliness. His goal is to tear families apart and destroy their lives. You have to end this— end him, so he can’t hurt anyone again.”  _

_ “How am I to do that?” Ben questioned.  _

_ Padme brushed his bangs behind his ear. She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Ben’s cheek.  _

_ “You have to go back to where it all began.”  _

_ “The Ahch-To Lighthouse?”  _

_ Padme nodded, “now it’s time for me to go.”  _

_ “Wait, I don’t want you to go yet,” Ben stammered.  _

_ “Benjamin, you are so much like your grandfather,” Padme replied.  _

_ “I’m not sure if that is a good thing,” Ben said nervously.  _

_ “You remind me of him, yes. But there is a difference. Anakin let his fear rule. But you— I can feel the love radiating off of you.”  _

_ Padme turned her head to gaze down at Rey holding Ben’s unconscious body.  _

_ The love the two of you share will conquer all.  _

_ *** _

Ben blinked awake. His head was pounding and his body felt drained like he’d just run a marathon. He groaned as his vision came into focus. 

Rey. Beautiful Rey. 

Worry was painted across her face but once their eyes met she clutched his cheek and kissed him. Ben brought his hand to the back of her hair and kissed her in return. Rey barely let him get a breath in with the strength of her kiss. 

“I was so worried,” Rey said between soft presses of her lips against his. “So, so worried.” 

Kylo pounced on him and chirped. 

“Kylo was yowling the whole time you were unconscious. He was so worried for his daddy,” Rey said. 

Ben smiled and leaned up to capture Rey’s lips in a kiss. His grandmother was right— he loved this woman. 

“Why don’t we get some kitten supplies and take Kylo home?” Ben asked. 

“But what about all of this,” Rey gestured to the crypt. “Was it all for nothing?” 

Ben sat up and grasped Rey’s chin between his thumb and forefinger. Then he pecked her lips. 

“I have everything I need, right here.” 

He would explain what really happened once they were back home. Rey deserved to know the truth. 

She deserved the entire world. 

***

“The storm is coming down hard, there’s a curfew being enforced starting at 8 p.m. tonight,” the vet technician said. “Have you boarded up your house?” she continued. 

Rey had put Kylo in his new pet carrier after he’d gotten a quick checkup at the veterinary office. Luckily Ben knew the owner. Ben paid for everything. They got him kitten food, a bed, some toys, and a red collar. 

“My father is coming over today to help me board it up, Jannah,” Ben replied. 

“Yeah, he and dad helped board up the clinic, as you can see,” Jannah said. “Well, this cute little guy is healthy as ever. It’s a good thing you two found him when you did. I’d hate to imagine what would happen to him if he’d gotten stuck out in the hurricane.” 

“Tell Lando I said hi,” Ben said as they waved goodbye to Jannah. 

“Will do, he misses you. Always talks about that time you ran naked to him calling him your  _ Unca Wanwo,”  _ Jannah laughed. 

Rey noticed Ben’s cheeks flush. She couldn’t help but giggle at his expense. 

“It was nice to meet you, Jannah. Thanks for making sure our baby is okay,” Rey said. 

“Of course, Rey. Thank  _ you  _ for taking care of my cousin, Ben.” 

Ben carried all the supplies while Rey held the cat carrier. They hurriedly climbed into the Ford Falcon to avoid getting soaked in the harsh rain. 

On their way back to Ben’s house, he explained what happened to him when he passed out in the mausoleum. Rey could tell he was a bit nervous by the way he was clutching the steering wheel. 

“I know it sounds crazy,” Ben replied. “But it really happened. And my grandmother gave me the name of the demon… Palpatine.” 

Rey listened as Ben told her everything his grandmother relayed to him. Even the part where they would have to go  _ back  _ to the Ahch-To Lighthouse. She wasn’t exactly excited about that, but it was a necessary evil. 

When they arrived at Ben’s home, there was already a man outside the house, boarding up the windows. It must be Ben’s father. 

“Hey kid,” the man said to Ben, hugging his son. “Who is this? You got yourself a lady friend, Ben?” 

Rey laughed as Ben sputtered. 

“Dad, this is Rey.” 

Rey shook his hand. She could see the family resemblance between Han and Ben. Kylo— not wanting to be ignored any longer, began mewing in the carrier. 

“Ben, did you get yourself a cat?” Han chuckled. “You must  _ really  _ like this girl.” 

“I do,” Ben admitted. “Where’s mom?” 

“She’s inside, you really shouldn’t have given that woman a key.” 

Ben rolled his eyes and placed his hand on Rey’s lower back.

“I will go make the introductions,” Ben said. Then he leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I’m warning you now, my mother is going to ask when she’s getting grandchildren. Just ignore her.” 

“Well, for now she has a grandcat.” 

Ben chuckled and pushed the door open for Rey. Inside, a petite woman was seated on the sofa. She jumped up at the sight of them. 

“Ben, why didn’t you tell me you have a girlfriend?” 

Ben groaned. 

“Mom, this is Rey. Rey— this is my mom, Leia.” 

It felt like a beautiful beginning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beat Sage McMae


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some smut and spooks

* * *

Ben cooked a quick meal of shrimp scampi for his parents and Rey. Han and Leia couldn’t stay too long unless they wanted to be trapped at Ben’s house for the duration of the hurricane. Ben wasn’t too fond of the idea. No offense to his parents, but he had only just started seeing Rey and he would like some alone time where they weren’t facing ghosts and demons. 

Ben served everyone a bowl as Rey put some kitten kibble down for Kylo. They sat down at the dining room table and began eating their dinner. 

“You know, Rey, Ben has never brought a girl around. I was beginning to think he would never settle down with anyone. Thought I wouldn’t get any grandchildren anytime soon.” 

Rey choked on her water. She wiped her mouth and smiled at Ben’s mother. She meant well. Even if she wasn’t ready for children yet. 

“Do you want children, Rey?” Leia pressed. 

“Mother,” Ben snapped. “Please, don’t scare her away. I really care about her.” 

“It’s okay, Ben,” Rey insisted. “Leia, I definitely want children. I’m just not ready yet. Maybe one day,” she added as she reached over for Ben’s hand. 

They continued to eat their meal, making small talk with Han and Leia. After everyone was finished, Rey took the dishes to the sink and started to rinse them off. Han and Leia bid them goodbye as Ben showed his parents out. 

Once the door was closed, Ben sneaked up behind Rey and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pressed a kiss against her neck making her giggle. 

“I’m  _ so  _ sorry. My mother can be very pushy.” 

Rey leaned back against his solid chest and kissed his cheek. 

“They love you a lot,” Rey remarked. 

“I’m sure they already love you more than they love me,” Ben said with a chuckle. 

Rey turned in his arms and looped her own around his neck, rising up on her tiptoes to kiss his soft mouth. One of his large hands cupped the back of her neck as he deepened the kiss while the other smoothed down her back and over the curve of her bottom. 

When they pulled apart to catch their breath, Ben cupped Rey’s cheek and gazed down at her with his warm brown eyes. 

“I didn’t want to have the first time of me saying this to be in front of my parents, so I waited. But what I really wanted to say when I asked my mother not to scare you away is that I love you. I love you, Rey. I really do— and I don’t expect you to say it back. We only just started…” 

His words were cut off with Rey’s lips. She pressed her body against him and slid her tongue inside his mouth, grabbing fistfulls of his hair. 

Breathlessly, Rey questioned, “You love me?” 

“I do,” Ben replied. 

Tears filled in Rey’s eyes. He  _ loved  _ her. Nobody ever loved her. 

“I love you too, Ben.” 

He smiled so brightly that his dimples were showing. Rey thought she’d like to see him smile more. It was the loveliest sight. Her heart felt like a caged bird fluttering its wings. She was happy— oh, so happy. 

Swiftly, Ben lifted her up in his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her towards the bedroom. 

***

One by one pieces of their clothing hit the floor. Ben couldn’t quite believe that Rey actually returned his love. He didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky to have such a beautiful, strong, and intelligent woman fall in love with him. 

_ Love is a weakness.  _ A voice whispered in his mind.  _ Love is what killed me.  _

An image of a man flashed in his mind’s eye. It looked like his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker. He pushed those thoughts away and returned his attention to his lover. 

Rey had gotten down on all fours on his bed, wiggling her bottom enticingly.  _ Little minx.  _ He saddled up behind her with his hands on her hips, smoothing his palms over the round cheeks of her ass. 

“My little love likes to tease me,” Ben growled. “I think she knows how much I love this ass.” 

Rey arched her back, lifting her ass further into the air. Ben rubbed his hand over her flesh before lifting it and coming down with a sharp slap. Not hard enough to hurt— he’d never hurt his Rey. 

She moaned and Ben swore her could see her pussy glisten with her arousal. He slipped one finger inside her cunt and groaned at the feel of her tight walls squeezing him. His cock twitched in jealousy. 

“You’re soaked. This pretty little cunt is ready for me, hmm?” 

“Yes, Ben. Please,” Rey whined. 

He slipped another finger inside her and started to pump. Then he used his wet fingers to coat the head of his cock. Ben gave himself a few strokes before lining his erection up to her entrance. He slid in smoothly, groaning at the feel of her warmth. He began to move, snapping his hips against her ass. 

“You’re perfect,” Ben praised. “So fucking perfect. Like you were made for me.” 

“Yes. Fuck me harder, Ben,” Rey asked sweetly. 

“That’s my girl.” 

Ben held her hips in place as he began pounding into her with abandon. He reached one hand up to fondle her breast, his thumb rubbing against a pert nipple. He mourned the fact that he couldn’t see her lovely tits. 

Deciding to rectify that, Ben flipped Rey onto her back and entered her again. He kissed her on the mouth and worked his way across her jaw and down the column of her neck. Ben stopped his journey at the top swell of her breast. He panted as he looked down at her rosy nipples. 

Unable to resist the temptation, Ben lowered his mouth to envelope a hardened peak. Rey moaned and worked her fingers through his hair. He lavished attention to her breasts, giving each equal attention as he continued to thrust into her. 

“Please, Ben, I need to come.” 

He released her nipple with a slick pop and then kissed one and then the other. Ben reached between their bodies and found her clit, rubbing it in soft circles as he fucked up into her. He could tell she was close by the way her eyes were fluttering and her pretty mouth moaned in ecstasy. 

“Yes, let me feel it,” Ben said. “Want to feel you come on my cock.” 

Rey shattered around him; her walls fluttered around his length. Ben grabbed her hips and started to pound into her, chasing his own release. He grunted as he came, painting her gorgeous cunt with every drop of his arousal. 

Ben lowered himself on top of Rey, his cock still inside her warm cunt as they both fell asleep. 

***

_ “Help me.” _

_ Ben’s eyes fluttered open. He looked around the darkened room. Rey was curled up beside him on the bed sleeping peacefully.  _

_ “Hello?” Ben asked the empty room.  _

_ “Help me,” the voice commanded.  _

_ Ben realized this was some sort of dreamscape. It wasn't an astral projection like the time Padme visited him in the cemetery. This was something else.  _

_ “Who are you?”  _

_ “Ben, it’s me. Anakin. I need your help.”  _

_ “How am I supposed to help you?” Ben questioned.  _

_ “I need help passing on, but I’m trapped.”  _

_ His heart skipped a beat. Ben needed to fix whatever this was. He needed to help both of his grandparents find peace. They needed help to pass over to the other side.  _

_ “How?” Ben pressed.  _

_ “I’ll show you. I’ll give you a sign. You’ll see.” Anakin whispered.  _

***

Ben woke up to the blaring sound of his phone ringing. Who the hell was calling him at this hour? He blearily reached over to check his phone and noticed that the security alarm was tripped at  _ The Lighthouse.  _

Shit, some asshole really wanted to steal something during a hurricane? Ben groaned as he quickly made a call to the cops. He started to get dressed and Rey hummed as she rolled over, the sheets slipping down her body. Ben forgot what he was doing for a moment as he admired her naked body.

“What was it, Ben?” 

“The alarm at  _ The Lighthouse.  _ I have to go meet the cops there,” Ben answered. 

“I’ll go with you,” Rey replied. 

***

Nothing appeared to have been stolen. The till was still locked and nothing was missing. Ben and Rey waited for the cops to finish their investigation. Soon enough, they were leaving and promised to follow up after the storm passed. The rain and wind had really picked up. The officers advised Ben and Rey to get into shelter to ride out the storm. 

Ben started to unplug all the machinery, not wanting the storms to trip any breakers and fry his electronics. Rey went to use the restroom before they were to leave. They needed to hurry if they wanted to beat the storm. Ben needed to get Rey back to his home to safety. 

Suddenly, something told him to go to the storage room at the top of the stairs. He couldn’t quite explain it. It was as if something was tied to him, yanking him forward. 

The stairs creaked beneath his boots as he walked up the flight. Ben opened the door to the storage room and flipped on the light. 

_ “Help me,”  _ Anakin pleaded. 

Ben stared at the ghostly visage of his grandfather. 

_ “Help me, I’m trapped.”  _ Anakin added. 

His grandfather pointed to the board laying on the floor of the room. A board that hadn’t been there before tonight. A ouija board. 

***

Rey felt the air turn ice cold around her, she shivered as she left the bathroom. Ben wasn’t anywhere to be found. She looked around the dining room and called out his name. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a woman in white. 

Her heart leapt out of her chest and she tripped over her own feet, falling to the ground. 

All she could hear were the soft pleading words from the ghostly woman. 

_ “Help him, please. Help him.”  _

Rey looked up and noticed the door to the storage room at the top of the stairs was open. She raced up to find Ben on his knees in front of something. 

He turned to look at Rey with pleading eyes. 

“He’s trapped, we have to help him. We have to help my grandfather.” 

Rey remembered the words of the woman in white. It had to be Padme Amidala, Ben’s grandmother.  _ Help him.  _ She had said. 

Rey sat across from Ben. The object in between them was a ouija board. 

“He’s trapped,” Ben repeated. “We have to help him.” 

“I know, Ben,” Rey answered. 

They both placed their hands on the planchette. 

“Grandfather, are you there?” Ben asked. 

The planchette moved to hover over the word  _ yes.  _

“What really happened that night? Did you kill your wife?” Ben questioned. 

The planchette moved to yes again. 

Rey felt her stomach drop. There was something wrong— something didn’t feel right. 

“Why?” Rey asked. 

The planchette moved across the board. 

H…E…T…O…L…D…M…E…T…O… 

_ He told me to.  _

“Who?” Rey demanded. 

P...A...L...P...A...T...I...N...E…

“Palpatine,” Ben and Rey said in unison. 

A cackle filled the room and the lights flickered before shutting off completely. Rey’s heart was beating out of her chest. Ben grabbed her hand as they scattered backward. The ouija board and planchette went flying across the room. 

“What did I do?” Ben asked, his hand was shaking as it clutched Rey’s. “What did I do?” he repeated. 

“Ben, we have to leave!” Rey yelled over the howling of the wind against the windows. “Ben, the hurricane… we have to get somewhere safe.” 

She tugged at his hand and finally got him to move. Rey pulled him down the stairs and out the front doors of  _ The Lighthouse.  _ She grabbed the keys from Ben’s pocket and locked up before pushing him towards the Ford Falcon. 

Ben was still in a catatonic state, repeating the words  _ ‘what have I done’  _ over and over again. Rey helped him into the passenger seat and then got behind the wheel and cranked the engine. She put the windshield wipers on full blast and peeled out of the parking lot of the restaurant. 

The waves were roughly crashing against the beach. Rey started to drive down the oceanside street towards Ben’s home. She looked at him from the corner of her eye. Ben didn’t look very good— he was pale and sweating like he’d contracted an illness in the last thirty minutes. 

_ “I told you to help him,”  _ a voice scolded from the backseat bench of the truck. 

Rey screamed and slammed the breaks on the truck. Her heart raced as she looked in the rearview mirror to see the woman in white behind her. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Rey yelled. 

“I told you to help him,” Padme continued, pointing towards Ben. “Palpatine tricked him posing as my husband.” 

_ This was bad. Really bad, _ Rey mused. 

“Drive to the Ahch-To Lighthouse,” Padme instructed. “This ends tonight.” 

“But the storm,” Rey cried. 

“Now!” Padme yelled. “If you want to save Benjamin’s life it has to be tonight.” 

Rey slammed her foot on the gas pedal as she changed course, heading down the coast to the old Ahch-To Lighthouse. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta Sage McMae


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW : this chapter gets a bit dark. Suicide mention. Suicidal thoughts. Demon possession. Murder. Brief threat to infants- no infants harmed. I think that covers it but please let me know if something needs to be added to the triggers. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Rey tried to keep her eyes on the road but it was difficult with Ben sitting beside her with a blank stare on his face. His eyes were soulless and black like something had taken over him. It was even more difficult to concentrate on driving with the ghost of said man’s grandmother gripping at her from the backseat. 

“Weren’t you warned to never play with Ouija boards?” Padme sniped. 

Rey thought back to the time Kaydel told them to never under any circumstance play with a spirit board. 

“I don’t know why we did it,” Rey admitted. “I felt compelled…” 

“That was Palpatine,” Padme replied. 

Ben groaned in the passenger seat and started to clutch his head. 

“Ben? Are you okay?” Rey asked. 

A guttural growl rumbled in his chest. Ben’s muscles went rigid as he tensed up. He grit his teeth, making his jaw pop. Nope— he wasn’t okay. Definitely not. 

“And now we are in the fight to save Ben’s soul,” Padme added. 

“His soul?”

“Yes, you let Palpatine in and he’s attempting to possess Ben. But my grandson’s fighting it. My strong boy,” Padme added wistfully as she gazed over at Ben. 

Padme placed a hand on his shoulder but it passed through— she couldn’t physically touch the living. Rey pulled out her cellphone and quickly pressed the contact for Rose. 

“Hey, Rey, did you and Ben want to come over for our Hurricane Party?” 

“Rose, listen!” Rey interrupted. “I need to speak to Kaydel  _ right  _ now.” 

Rose was silent for a moment then replied, “Sure, hold on. Babe? Can you come here a sec.” 

Rey heard the sounds of the party diminish with the slam of a door. Rose announced that she put the phone on speaker. 

“Kaydel,” Rey said. “I’m currently en route to the Ahch-To Lighthouse with Ben… we— we fucked up.” 

“Rey, why the hell are you going there in this storm? And what happened?” Kaydel questioned. 

“Long story short, we played with the Ouija board. And now Ben’s ghost grandmother has instructed me to go back to where this all began to save his soul.” 

Kaydel cursed, “I told both of you to  _ never  _ play with those boards. You’ve just opened the door to  _ their  _ realm. What is going on with Ben? Is he aware of his surroundings?” 

Rey looked over and noticed Ben rocking back and forth with his hands clutching his head. 

“Um, no. He’s kind of catatonic right now. He isn’t replying to anything I’m saying.” 

“Fuck, and the ghostly grandmother said something about saving his soul?” Kaydel continued.

“Palpatine is trying to possess him,” Padme yelled. 

“Holy shit…. That was legit an EVP,” Kaydel gasped. 

“I told you! She’s literally sitting behind me. Scared the shit out of. Kay, what do I do? How do you defeat a demon?” 

“You need a priest to perform an exorcism.”

“Well, where the hell am I going to get a priest in the middle of a hurricane?” Rey yelled. “There has to be another way.” 

“I’m sorry, Rey. I don’t know what else to tell you. You could try to do it yourself but you’d need a bible and holy water. Maybe even a rosary.” 

“I know someone…” Padme said. And then she disappeared, causing Rey to swerve on the road. 

“Damnit, Padme,” Rey swore to the vanishing ghost.

“Hey, listen,” Kaydel said. “Do you want Rose and I to get in the car and head down there?” 

“No,” Rey insisted. “Stay where you are. I want you to be safe from the storm and whatever  _ this  _ is.” 

“Demonic possession,” Kaydel said. 

“Yeah, that,” Rey replied. 

***

Darkness swallowed him whole. Ben’s head was pounding as the sickly demonic voice goaded him. 

_ She could never love you, silly child. Nobody has ever loved you. Your uncle tried to murder you because of what a pathetic, worthless being you are. Give in to me. I will make all the pain and torment go away.  _

“No,” Ben groaned. He thought he heard Rey’s soft voice. He thought he felt the press of a hand on his shoulder— something familiar but not entirely there. 

He wasn’t alone. 

_ Yes, you are. Your parents didn’t love you. They didn’t believe you when you told them what your uncle did. You were always such a nuisance to them.  _

_ No _ , Ben thought. That’s not true. His parents loved him.

_ The girl is using you. She doesn’t care. How could anybody care for someone like you? All that darkness inside you— it calls to me, always has. All those nights you woke up paralyzed as I watched over you. Even then you called to me, begging for someone to take away your loneliness. I can do that for you.  _

The voice became even more demanding.  _ Let me in.  _

Ben fought tirelessly. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he repeated a mantra of…  _ never, never, never.  _

***

Rey pulled up to the gated entrance to the historical park and slammed on the breaks. She unbuckled and reached over, clutching Ben’s cheeks as she looked into his eyes. 

“Look at me, Ben. I love you. I need you, please don’t leave me.” 

His black, emotionless eyes gazed down at her. Rey quickly pressed a kiss to his lips and then threw her arms around his shoulders, burying her nose against his neck as she breathed in his familiar scent. 

Her heart beat rapidly against his chest. Rey wondered if he could feel the steady pulse through the barrier of their clothing.

“Come back to me,” she pleaded. 

***

_ Lies. She’s lying to you. Pathetic child, you’re nothing without me. _

Ben longed to wrap his arm around Rey but he felt like every muscle in his body was paralyzed. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, a smoky image of a young man appeared. The ghost touched Ben’s temple and he felt the darkness start to rescind. 

Ben began to feel a weight being lifted off of him. He gulped in big breaths of air and  _ finally  _ wrapped his arm around Rey’s shoulders. She sobbed into his chest and started to press kisses against his neck. 

_ She loves you,  _ Ben reminded himself.  _ You aren’t alone.  _

Their moment was interrupted by the ghost that had helped Ben break free from Palpatine’s hold. Ben took the time to really take in the image of the young man. It was his grandfather’s ghost: Anakin Skywalker. 

***

“We don’t have a lot of time,” Anakin announced. 

“What?” Ben asked. “What really happened to you?” 

Anakin solemnly peered at the black and white Lighthouse. That’s when time stood still and they were transported to another place. Ben blinked his eyes and looked around. The storm was gone. They weren’t in the historical park. 

They were— at his restaurant. But it  _ wasn’t  _ his restaurant. Not yet at least. Anakin had taken them back to the tragic night of his death. Ben swallowed hard and reached for Rey’s hand. 

“Watch,” Anakin said, pointing to the room where Padme was seated on the couch. She looked beautiful— living and breathing in her youth. 

Padme was reading a book when another version of Anakin approached— he looked like he was in agony. Anakin’s eyes turned black as he pleaded with Padme to help. 

“Make it stop. Make the voices stop.” 

Suddenly, everything changed and Ben and Rey were now looking through Anakin’s eyes from that night. 

He was looking at Padme and his heart raced in his chest. She was so beautiful— like an angel. He just wanted the voices to stop. They whispered such dark things that it made him question what was real. 

Anakin looked down as he fell to his knees. The voice was there— urging him to  _ kill  _ his wife. He would never. He could never— he loved Padme with all of his heart. How could he ever hurt the one he loved? 

When he looked up, he saw the demon that had been haunting him. Laughing in his face. Anakin felt rage swell up in his chest. He reached for the demon’s throat and grabbed it. He’d never held so tight against something— willing it to breathe its last breath. Once the demon was gone he could  _ live  _ again. He could grow old with Padme. 

He watched as the demon took its last breath and then fell limp in his arms. Anakin felt pride as he threw the lifeless body to the ground. But then horror struck him through the heart as the realization washed over him. Padme’s body laid on the floor. Her bloodshot eyes were completely devoid of life. 

Anakin cried out as he gathered her up in his arms, placing a hand over her heart— he wailed when he didn’t feel a heartbeat. He placed her gently on the ground and started to do chest compressions. He had to save her. Had to… 

But nothing he did worked. Anakin rested his forehead on her chest and cried in despair. That’s when he felt Palpatine complete his possession of his body. The door to the twin’s bedroom swung open and the demon cackled in Anakin’s mind. 

_ Finish it.  _

“No,” Anakin yelled. “No, not my kids.” 

He forced himself to stand and fought against the pull of Palpatine’s commands. There was only one way to save them. Palpatine hissed and spat at Anakin’s refusal. The Lighthouse was merely steps away. Anakin threw himself inside and started to make the climb to the top. 

The entire time he thought of his kids sleeping in their beds.  _ I’m doing this for them. So they can have a future. _

Once he arrived at the top, he took his belt off and made a noose. It was the only way… 

***

Rey screamed and shook violently in Ben’s arms. They were once again in the historical park. Anakin looked at them sadly. 

“That is what really happened that night,” Anakin replied. 

Rey took in a deep breath and looked at Ben. He seemed to be doing okay considering what they’d just been shown. A little more pale than usual but at least Palpatine was no longer compelling him. 

“Whatever you did to me when you touched my temple made Palpatine retreat,” Ben stated. 

“It is only temporary.” Anakin sighed.

“You know Padme doesn’t blame you,” Rey said. 

Anakin gazed at her with the most tragic look in his eyes. 

“But I will never forgive myself for what I did that night.” 

“Do you see her at all? In the afterlife?” Rey questioned. 

“No, there is no happy ending for the two of us. I’m a monster for what I did. I have to pay for my crimes. Because of what I did— I can never cross over. I have to carry on every day with the reminder of what I did playing in my mind on repeat. I have to relive it— again and again.”

Then he vanished, leaving them alone in the car as the rain pelted the roof. Rey’s heart ached for Ben’s grandparents and the agony both of them felt over something out of their control. Anakin continued to blame himself— but Palpatine was the puppet master forcing Anakin’s hand. 

“I wish we could help them,” Rey replied. 

“I think if we end this for good, we could help them cross over together,” Ben replied. 

Rey nodded. 

“I can’t stop thinking about what he said though. If it’s only temporary,” Ben swallowed. “Does that mean my fate will be the same as his?” 

Rey felt sick to her stomach as she looked at the Ahch-To Lighthouse. 

“You better not be suggesting what I think you are,” Rey growled, grabbing Ben’s hands in her own and squeezing them tight. “Kaydel said an exorcism will need to be performed. We don’t have a priest but maybe I could do it myself. Snoke might have a bible somewhere in that cottage. We can start there.” 

Ben sighed and exited the truck. Together they scaled the gated fence and walked purposefully to the front door of the cottage. Ben knocked loudly on the door. Rey looked around and noticed the storm surge had almost reached the edge of the property. She shivered as she leaned against Ben’s tall frame. 

The door swung open, startling them both. Snoke stared at them with an alarming gleam to his eyes. He held the door open and grinned at them. 

“Well, it appears the two of you are in need of some shelter. Please, come inside.” 

Rey gulped as she gripped Ben’s hand. Then they walked inside the dimly lit cottage, hoping that they would make it out alive. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta Sage McMae


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for suicidal thoughts, past suicide mention, demon possession

* * *

“I was expecting you,” Snoke replied as he held up a candle in the darkened foyer. The wind whistled, shaking the hurricane shutters with force. The floorboards beneath Rey’s feet creaked as they followed Snoke into the living room. 

“I apologize for the less than stellar accommodations. The hurricane knocked out the electricity. I’m surprised the two of you made it out here in one piece. Must have had some kind of  _ angel _ watching over you.” 

“You said you were expecting us?” Ben questioned. His hand shot out to grab hold of Rey’s squeezing it lightly. 

“Yes,” Snoke grinned menacingly, the flickering light of the candle cast shadows across his face. “You left without bidding me goodbye. It was rather rude of you, don’t you think? I sheltered you from the storm and  _ that’s  _ how you repay me?” 

“Apologies,” Rey replied. “We weren’t in the right mind that night.” 

She shared a glance with Ben. He hummed in agreement. 

“Yes, neither of us were. How did you know we would return here?” Ben asked. 

“It’s quite simple,” Snoke stated. He set the candle down on the coffee table— right next to a spirit board. “I have the gift of second sight. I  _ knew  _ you would be back because I have foreseen it. You’ve come just in time.” 

“In time for what?” Rey reluctantly asked. 

“The seance.” 

“No,” Ben protested. “No way. We aren’t touching that thing.” 

They heard a click of metal locking into place. Ben grew silent as Snoke pointed a gun towards him. Rey’s heart pounded in her chest and she felt like she was going to be sick. 

“I don’t believe I asked— now, place both hands on the planchette.” 

Rey was the first to relent, gently placing her fingers on the heart-shaped wooden piece. She glanced at Ben with pleading eyes. Rey wished she could communicate with him without words— wished he could hear her thoughts.  _ Just do this. Let’s distract him until we can incapacitate him.  _

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She didn’t know how she knew it— but something was standing behind her shoulder. Her entire body shivered with fear as she looked behind her at… 

_ Nothing.  _ There was nothing there. 

She turned her attention back to the spirit board. Ben’s fingers had joined hers. Snoke grinned at them and placed the loaded gun on the arm of the leather chair. Then he also placed his fingers on the planchette. 

“Palpatine,” Snoke announced. “I did everything you asked of me. You promised me greatness, show yourself.” 

One by one the candles around the room were blown out leaving them in complete darkness. The planchette flew across the room, slamming into the wall. 

The rain and wind from the hurricane beat against the tiny cottage. It was deafeningly loud. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness but once she was able to make out the shapes of Ben and Snoke, she hurled herself towards the gun and picked it up. 

A deep guttural growl erupted from Ben’s chest. Rey looked up as she held the gun in front of her pointing it directly at Snoke. She glanced at Ben from the corner of her eye— he had grown pale and his eyes were blacker than she’d ever seen them. 

“Foolish child. I can not be beaten. You will suffer the same fate as Padme Amidala.” Snoke turned his attention to Ben. “Son of Darkness, finish what your grandfather started. Kill her.” 

Ben’s head turned towards Rey, assessing her as if she were a painting. Rey’s hand shook as she continued to point the gun at Snoke.  _ Was Palpatine possessing both of them?  _ She couldn’t be sure.  _ Where was Padme?  _ Rey could really use her help. 

“Ben,” Rey whispered. “Ben’s it’s me. See me. Be with me, Ben. I’m here.” 

Snoke chuckled. “He can’t hear you. Palpatine is in control now. You might as well surrender now. Your fate has already been decided. I’ve seen it.” 

Tears slipped down her cheeks as Ben crossed the room towards her with a blank stare on his face. 

“Or,” Snoke prompted “you could save yourself. Turn that pistol towards him. Nobody would blame you.” 

“STOP,” Ben yelled in an inhuman voice. Ben’s head snapped towards Snoke and he reached out his hand gasping Snoke’s neck with an invisible force. “Don’t speak to her.” 

Snoke gasped for breath and clutched his throat. His eyes started to bulge out of his head until he collapsed onto the floor motionless. Rey raced over and checked for a pulse. It was still there— Ben thankfully hadn’t killed Snoke. That would have been very difficult to explain. 

A shrill scream left Ben’s lips causing Rey to cover her ears. When she looked over at Ben, his eyes were watering as he breathed heavily. 

“Get OUT,” Ben yelled— and this time his voice sounded more normal— more like himself. “Get out of my head. GET OUT.” 

In an instant, Ben fell to the floor and started to convulse. Rey rushed over to him and grabbed his face, looking him directly in the eyes. Then his movements stopped and he blinked up at her. 

“Ben?” 

“Rey,” he gasped out. 

She helped him to sit up and kissed him on the lips. Both of them had tears in their eyes. Ben looked over to where Snoke was laying. 

“Is he dead?” he asked with worry. 

“No, he’s alive. But we should probably tie him up. And dispose of the gun.” 

Together, they picked up Snoke’s limp body and placed him in a chair. They tied his arms behind his back and his feet together. Rey showed Ben the gun and questioned what they should do with it. 

“You need to keep it. For when Palpatine takes over me again. For your own safety Rey.” 

“No Ben,” Rey cried. “I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you. Even if it was to save myself. I can’t. You can’t ask that of me.” 

Ben sighed and walked over to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

“Just keep it away from me,” Ben relented. “Because if I… I couldn’t forgive myself if…” he couldn’t finish the sentence but Rey knew what he was trying to say. 

He didn’t want to hurt her. Just like she didn’t want to hurt him. 

“I will hide it. That way you don’t know where it is. But I will— if it’s needed.” 

Ben shook his head in agreement. He walked over to the door and opened it, looking out at the night sky. 

“The storm has passed,” Ben remarked. 

Rey took the gun and hid it beneath the pillows in the guest bedroom they had shared. She walked back to the living room to find Ben in the doorway staring up at the sky. 

“I’m going to look for a bible,” Rey announced. She walked over to the bookshelf and started to search through all the books. She heard the door close. Moments later she felt arms wrap around her waist and a kiss pressed to her cheek. 

“I love you,” Ben said. And Rey melted into his embrace. 

“I love you too.” 

***

Palpatine was still in Ben’s head. Somehow, Ben was able to silence the demon. But it wouldn’t be long before it regained strength and took over his body again. That’s why Ben was holding Rey and kissing her while he could. He didn’t know if it was the last chance he would have to do so. 

“Found one,” Rey said, pulling the spine of a book out from the shelf. It was a bible. Now they just needed to figure out how to exorcise a demon. 

“I hope I’m not too late,” a voice called out behind them. 

Ben turned to see old Obi Wan standing in the doorway. 

“Obi Wan, what are you doing here?” Rey asked. 

“A friend came to me,” the older man stated, rubbing the back of his head. Padme passed through the wall and stood beside him. 

“I told you I knew somebody that could help,” Padme addressed Rey. Ben furrowed his brows and looked between Obi Wan, his ghostly grandmother, and Rey. 

“I’m confused,” Ben said under his breath. 

“Obi Wan is ordained,” Padme offered. “He officiated mine and Anakin’s wedding.” 

Rey started to hand Obi Wan the bible but he shook his head and pulled out a small book from his pocket. 

“Thank you, Rey. I came prepared with my pocket bible and a vial of holy water. Why don’t you both take a seat on the couch and we can begin.” 

***

Ben didn’t remember much of what came next. Palpatine’s control over him grew with each verse that Obi Wan read aloud. It was as if the exorcism was fuel to Palpatine’s rage. Everything in Ben’s mind was so loud. He tried to pay attention to the words that Obi Wan spoke and the feeling of Rey’s hand clutching his but soon he was falling deeper into the abyss. 

He thrashed, trying to break free from Palpatine’s hold. The demon growled and spoke through Ben— spitting curses at everyone around him. 

It went on for what felt like an eternity. Ben felt himself slowly slipping away. He was a fighter— but he couldn’t fight this forever. And he was exhausted— so very exhausted. 

“He’s slipping,” Ben thought he heard Obi Wan say. “It isn’t working. We need to try something else.” 

“There’s nothing else we  _ can  _ do,” Rey yelled. “You need to keep trying.” 

Palpatine laughed from within him and whispered in his mind.  _ By morning she will be dead.  _

“No,” Ben growled as he fought against Palpatine. 

_ Kill her now.  _

“NO” 

_ KILL HER.  _

Ben shot out of his seat and dashed for the front door. 

“Ben, no!” Rey cried out after him. But his mind was made. There was only one way out of this. He made his way towards the Ahch-To Lighthouse and climbed the stairs. Rey was hot on his heels, grabbing at his shirt as he tried to get away from her. 

“He wants me to hurt you. Please, just let me do this.” Ben replied. 

“NO, I won’t let you,” Rey yelled. 

They were standing at the top of the Lighthouse on the landing overlooking the island. Ben felt a surge of power flow through him and a cool hand fell upon his shoulder. He gazed over his shoulder at the man standing behind him. It was his grandfather, Anakin. In front of him, Obi Wan and Padme stood with somber expressions on their faces. They were all here at the top of the Lighthouse. They were fighting for him— they thought he was worth fighting for. 

“Ani,” Padme gasped. 

Then Ben felt Padme’s hand on his chest. Rey continued to squeeze his hand. Everyone was working together to banish Palpatine. That’s when Ben heard the words that came out of Obi Wan’s mouth. 

“I condemn you back to hell.” 

A cool hand was placed over his forehead and Ben blinked as the darkness lifted from his body. 

“Oh,” he thought with sadness.  _ Oh, I see.  _

Then he closed his eyes, falling into unconsciousness. 

***

He woke up and clutched his head, blinking his eyes as he took in his surroundings. 

“How long was I out?” Ben asked. 

“Only a few moments,” Rey replied. 

She kissed him long and hard on the mouth, nuzzling his nose with her own and just breathing him in. Ben’s mind was blessedly silent. Palpatine was gone— and he hoped it was for good. Rey helped him to sit up and he looked around them, noticing that Anakin and Padme were standing hand in hand. 

“What happens now?” Ben asked. 

“Well, Ben, you ended Palpatine’s reign. Anakin and I are no longer shackled to this world. We are free to move on.” Padme said. 

_ Together,  _ Ben realized. 

Padme leaned over and pressed a cool kiss to Ben’s cheek. 

“Thank you, Ben. Because of you, I have my husband back.” 

Ben, Rey, and Obi Wan followed them down the winding stairs of the lighthouse and watched as Anakin and Padme walked into the distance and faded out of sight. Ben felt a tear spill down his cheek. 

“Goodbye,” he whispered.  _ I’ll miss you.  _

“They crossed over,” Rey said softly. 

Ben nodded, “yes, they did.” 

“Oh, Obi Wan, how did you get out here?” Rey remarked. “There’s only Ben’s truck.” 

Ben looked sadly at Obi Wan Kenobi. The man that had passed away in his sleep the night before. Ben knew the moment Obi Wan touched his forehead with a cool touch. His friend and avid patron at  _ The Lighthouse _ wasn’t of this world any longer. 

“I’m sorry, Rey,” Obi Wan said as he started to walk towards the spot that Anakin and Padme had disappeared. “I wish I had more time to get to know you. Take care of this young man.” then he too crossed over to the other side. 

Rey blinked back tears as she hid her face in Ben’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and cried softly. 

*** 

Later, they untied Snoke and left him to sleep off the incident in his bed.  _ When he wakes he will think it all a dream.  _ Obi Wan had said earlier that evening. Ben hoped he was correct. 

Ben brushed his hands through his hair as he took in the structure of the Ahch-To Lighthouse. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest. No longer did he have darkness looming over him. There wasn’t anything haunting him or his family. 

Finally, Ben would be able to  _ live.  _

It was with those thoughts racing through his mind when Rey grabbed his hand and pulled him into the water. He laughed as they wadded out in the cool water of the ocean, kissing each other and tasting salt on each other’s lips. 

Once they broke apart for breath, Ben smiled at Rey so brightly he was sure his dimples were showing. 

“Now that this is over, what do you plan to do with  _ The Lighthouse _ ?” Rey asked. 

Ben gave a content sigh and rested his forehead against Rey’s. 

“First, I think I know just the person to take over ownership of the restaurant,” he said, curling his arms around her waist. 

“Me?” 

“You,” Ben agreed. “And second, I’m going to start writing again.” 

Rey kissed him again, licking into his mouth. He groaned at the taste of her. 

“One more thing,” Ben said, gazing at Rey’s shirt. “Am I  _ ever  _ getting my sweater back?” 

Rey giggled and shook her head, “nope, I’m keeping this sweater forever. Do you have a problem with that?” 

“No,” Ben admitted. “As long as I get to keep you forever.” 

“Forever,” Rey agreed, and they sealed the promise with a kiss.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally we got the scene that the art I commissioned is based on. Art at the end of the chapter is by the amazing lilibethsonar.   
> Thank you to my beta Sage McMae


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this story is over. Thank you for everyone that came along for the ride.

* * *

Besides some debris and palm fronds littering the ground, Ben’s home wasn’t affected much by the hurricane. He unlocked the door and heard the soft cry from their little black kitten, Kylo. 

Rey pushed past Ben and headed towards the mewling noise. She crouched beside the couch and reached beneath it, pulling out the small kitten and cuddling him close. 

“I’m so sorry,” she apologized, kissing Kylo on his soft, furry head. “I hope he didn’t think we abandoned him,” Rey said with panic in her voice. 

“Sweetheart,” Ben whispered. 

He crossed the room and wrapped Rey in his arms. The kitten purred between them, the vibration sending a calming sensation through Ben’s body. He leaned down and captured Rey’s lips in a searching kiss. 

_ Maybe we will be okay,  _ Ben thought. 

***

After the haunting events of the hurricane, Ben started to write. He wrote the story of his grandparents and the horror leading up to their deaths. He wrote about the supernatural happenings he experienced in  _ The Lighthouse.  _ And finally, he wrote about the storm— the swirling vortex that served as the backdrop for the climatic ending to Anakin and Padme’s ghost story. 

Ben met with a publisher with the manuscript in hand. Amilyn Holdo was a friend of his mother’s. He left the meeting with a book deal and a smile on his face. It had been a year since the events of the titled book,  _ The Haunting of the Lighthouse.  _ Ben made his way towards the restaurant, enjoying the cool breeze that came with the changing of the season. Halloween decorations were already up around every corner of the island. 

He pushed open the door to  _ The Lighthouse  _ and made his way over to the bar. Rey came out the door of the office and crossed over to him, grabbing a glass tumbler and filling it with his favorite whiskey— Corellian. 

“Good news?” Rey asked, biting her lip. 

Ben took a sip of his whiskey, then placed it down on the bartop. 

“She loved it,” he replied with a smug grin. 

Rey squealed and crawled over the bar to clamber into his lap. She kissed him passionately, slipping her tongue into his mouth. Ben kissed her back with fervor, smoothing his hands down her back until he was cupping her shapely ass. 

“Mmm,” Rey moaned against his lips, “lock the front door.” 

Ben growled as he pushed himself off the barstool, bodily lifting Rey into his arms as he walked over to the front doors of the restaurant. Rey wrapped her legs around his hips and looped her arms around his neck, giggling as she left fleeting kisses on the bridge of his nose. 

Ben locked the door and quickly carried Rey to the office. She laughed as he pushed everything off the desk and laid her down on top of it. 

“Need you inside me,” Rey whimpered as she started unzipping his trousers. 

“Yes, sweetheart.” 

Their clothes were thrown haphazardly around. Rey reached between them and stroked Ben’s erection. He gave a heady sigh and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her warm palm. Ben widened Rey’s legs and helped her guide his cock to her snug entrance. 

“Fuck,” Ben groaned as his cock bottomed out in one smooth stroke. “You’re perfect.” 

Rey traced her hands down his chest and settled them on his hips, her pretty tits pressed together as she gazed up at him with lust filled eyes. 

“My boyfriend is going to be a published author,” Rey said. 

Ben moved in and out of her pussy, grinning down at her as she whispered praises of—  _ you’re so talented. My novelist boyfriend. Mine, mine, mine.  _

“Yours,” Ben agreed, pressing his thumb against her clit and rubbing swift circles. “Come for me, Rey.” 

“I… I need… more.” 

Ben leaned over and closed his lips around a pert nipple. Rey gasped and rocked her hips, meeting him thrust for thrust as he licked and sucked at her breast. Ben felt his balls tighten with his impending orgasm. He continued to circle Rey’s slippery clit— her walls fluttered around his cock as she cried out with her release. Ben felt his cock swell as he thrust twice more. Then, he growled as he painted her walls with his spend. 

Ben panted against Rey’s lips as he came down from his release. Rey kissed him soundly and held him close. He could feel the steady beat of her heart against his chest and Ben thought it was his favorite sound in the world. 

They quickly cleaned up the office before the wait staff arrived to prep for the evening rush. Ben unlocked the front door and then took his place back at the bar, pulling out his laptop to work on his next manuscript. 

Not long after he started typing away at his computer, Rose arrived. Ben had stepped down as owner of  _ The Lighthouse,  _ signing the property over to Rey. The first thing Rey did when Ben handed her the keys was to promote Rose to a managerial position. 

Ever since the hurricane, the hauntings in the restaurant ceased to exist. It was quiet and peaceful. A part of him missed the few experiences when he saw his grandmother. However, he knew both Anakin and Padme were now in a better place. 

Rose walked over and patted Ben as a greeting before taking the seat next to him. Rey was flitting about the dining room, lighting candles and dusting the windows. Rose pulled a small box out of her pocket and passed it over to Ben. 

“Wow,” Ben remarked, looking at the hand painted wooden box. It fit in the palm of his hand. “It’s perfect.” 

“Yeah, Kaydel thought you’d say that,” Rose replied. “So, when are you going to ask her?” 

“Soon,” Ben promised. “Very soon.” 

***

That evening, Ben helped Rey close up the restaurant. They made plans to visit the cemetery where Obi Wan was buried. Ben put his laptop in his satchel and slung it over his shoulder. Rey locked the doors to the restaurant and then grabbed his hand. They walked down the street hand in hand, making their way towards the old cemetery. 

Rey cuddled up close to him as the cool breeze kissed their cheeks. She was wearing his black sweater— Ben would never tire of seeing her in his clothes. 

The gates to the cemetery were open and welcoming. They strolled through the many burial plots until they found the mausoleum where Ben’s grandparents were buried. A newer gravestone took up residence beside the crypt. The elegant script engraved on the stone read “Obi Wan Kenobi.”

Rey placed a single white silk lily upon Obi Wan’s grave. She had tears in her eyes that she quickly wiped away. Ben pulled out a small candle and lit it as he sat it next to the flower. It was their offering to the man that showed them kindness and helped save their lives. 

The cemetery was silent as they grieved for their departed friend. The only solace they found was knowing Obi Wan had crossed over with two of his dearest companions. Ben brushed his own tears away with the sleeve of his shirt. After a few moments, they decided it was time to head home. 

As they turned to leave, Ben swore he heard a whisper in his ear. 

_ I’ll always be with you.  _

***

To say that Ben was nervous was an understatement. He had the engagement ring nestled inside the little wooden box from Rose and Kaydel. It was hidden in the drawer of his nightstand. Ben paced back and forth in the bedroom as Kylo stared at him from his curled up position on the bed. 

“What if she says no?” Ben questioned the black cat. “What if it’s too soon, or what if she realizes she could do better.” 

Kylo blinked his golden eyes at him and yawned. Ben reached down to scratch beneath the cat’s chin and then slid his hand down the silky black fur of his back. 

“You’re right,” Ben remarked. “I’m panicking for nothing.” 

The front door opened and Ben felt his heart start to beat rapidly in his chest. He heard the gentle footsteps Rey took as she made her way down the hall to their bedroom. She peeked inside and grinned at him with that radiant smile. 

“There are my boys,” Rey remarked, crossing the room to kiss Kylo on his furry head and then to wrap her arms around Ben’s waist. He let out a steadying breath and melted into the embrace. 

“Honey, your heart is beating so fast,” Rey commented. “Is everything okay?” 

Ben motioned for Rey to sit on the edge of the bed. He took a breath and reached for her hands. He was sure his own were clammy from how nervous he was. Ben brought her hands up to his lips as he left a brief kiss on her knuckles. 

“Rey, you are the best thing to ever happen to me. I love you so, so much.” 

“I love you too, Ben.” 

“There’s something I want to ask you, Rey.”

He sucked in a breath and then reached inside his bedside table, pulling out the wooden box from Rose and Kaydel. Then he got down on one knee. He held the ring box out for her to admire before revealing the ring inside. 

Rey threw her head back with a peal of laughter. 

“Oh my god, the box is painted like a Ouija board.” 

“Kaydel thought it would be cute,” Ben replied. 

He opened it sheepishly, displaying the engagement ring hidden inside. Rey sucked in a breath and started to shiver. 

“Rey, will you marry me?” 

“Yes!” she cried, throwing herself in Ben’s arms. 

He fell to the floor with a huff of laughter. Rey covered his face with kisses until she reached his lips. They laid on the ground, holding each other in their arms as they continued to kiss. Kylo jumped down from the bed, needing to know what all the commotion was about. Ben chuckled as they scrambled up to a sitting position with his back against the bed and Rey leaning her back against his chest. He slipped the ring on her finger and pressed his lips against her temple. 

“It’s perfect,” Rey said as she held up her hand. 

The ring was a solitaire with a band of swirling vine-like designs encrusted in tiny diamonds. 

“It was my grandmother’s,” Ben admitted. “My mom gave it to me a month after I introduced you to her. It’s very apparent that she approved of our relationship.” 

“I love it Ben. It means so much that you trust me with such a treasured heirloom.” 

“It’s  _ your  _ ring, Rey. Nobody is more worthy than you.” 

She snuggled back against him. Ben kissed her forehead and relaxed into their embrace. He laughed at himself for being so nervous. Deep down, he always knew Rey would say yes. 

  
  
  


**TWO YEARS LATER**

Ben rushed to  _ The Lighthouse,  _ he brushed his wind blown hair, hoping he didn’t look as frazzled as he felt. He pushed the doors open at the back entrance of the restaurant and ran smack into Rey. 

“My beautiful wife,” Ben murmured as he kissed Rey’s lips. 

“My idiot husband,” she snarked back, kissing his smirk. “We have the table all set up for you by the bar, what took so long?” 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” 

She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. The restaurant was filled with people from all over the country. And they had all come here for  _ him.  _ Ben’s book landed on the New York Time’s best seller. Ever since  _ The Haunting of the Lighthouse  _ was published, the restaurant had gotten three times as much business. 

Rey guided Ben to the table that was set up with an abundance of copies of his book. There was a line that weaved in and around the tables and out the front doors of the restaurant. Ben couldn’t believe they were all here for a book signing.  _ His  _ book signing. 

He took a seat and looked over at Rey with nervousness. She sat down beside him and placed a hand over his. 

“You’ve got this,” Rey whispered. 

He looked around the dining room. His parents were seated at the bar with bright smiles on their faces. Rose and Kaydel were handing out refreshments to the guests in line. Amilyn Holdo raised a glass and winked at him as she leaned against the wall. Ben felt a hand on his shoulder but when he looked over there wasn’t anyone there. 

Rey leaned in pecked his lips as the first person approached the table with their book. 

“Can I ask, are the events in the book true?” the young girl questioned. 

Ben signed his name and handed the book over. 

“I think there’s beauty in the ambiguity,” Ben replied. 

He didn’t care if people believed his story as fact or fiction. It was  _ his  _ truth; his reality. And it was a hauntingly beautiful love story. He looked over at his wife and felt his cheeks flush and his heart swell. 

He had Rey, and that’s all that really mattered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta SageMcMae

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my beta Sage McMae
> 
> This is inspired by the restaurant 'The Black Pelican' in the Outer Banks. You can check out the story [here](https://www.resortrealty.com/blog/spooky-obx-5-famous-ghost-stories/#:~:text=Cold%20Blood%20at%20Black%20Pelican&text=In%201884%2C%20the%20keeper%20of,T.L.'s%20body%20at%20sea.)


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